An answer to the question "What is a theory of meaning?"

The article examines one of the main problems of analytical philosophy, namely what are the necessary as well as sufficient conditions for a satisfactory account of meaning in language? The reasons against a systematic theory of meaning and in favour of it are advanced. We recall that it was Wittgenstein, the author of Philosophical Investigations, who most stubbornly resisted any attempt to view the philosophy of language as a meaning-theoretical undertaking. Wittgenstein's position was opposed by Dummett, one of today's leading philosophers of language. Dummett maintains that within the theory of meaning (which has yet to enter the scene) there must be, in his terminology, some one key concept which has an application in the derivation of the meaning of each and every sentence in the language. The remainder of the article discusses Davidson's, another great contributor to the theme, considerations concerning the point and form of a theory of meaningVytauto Didžiojo universiteta