Kaplan, David

"The essence of something may not be evident from its ordinary description."

"Abstract objects exist and are as real as concrete ones in important ways."

"Our modal intuitions, when carefully examined, can guide us toward truth."

"The structure of language reveals something about the structure of reality itself."

"Some questions that seem deep are really confused questions poorly formulated."

"To know what something is, we must understand its essential properties."

"Facts about individuals are irreducible to facts about properties and relations."

"Consciousness and intentionality connect the mind to the external world."

"We should trust our rational faculties when carefully applied to philosophical problems."

"The meaning of a word is determined partly by how it was introduced into our language."

"Objects have properties that are intrinsic to them, independent of our observations."

"Understanding requires grasping not just facts, but their explanatory structure."

"The problem of other minds reveals the deep connection between language and world."

"We often mistake conceptual puzzles for metaphysical mysteries."

"The identity of indiscernibles is not as obvious as it might first appear."

"Truth-conditions matter more than verification procedures in understanding meaning."

"Our concepts organize reality in ways that reflect our interests and concerns."

"Rational analysis can dissolve many philosophical problems if pursued carefully."

"The relationship between thought and language is intimate and complex."

"What is true in one possible world need not be true in all."

"The ordinary use of language is often our best guide to philosophical truth."

"Existence claims are not simply assertions of properties."

"We must carefully distinguish between different senses of the same word."

"Knowledge requires not just true belief, but proper causal connection to reality."

"The puzzle of the statue and clay reveals the complexities of identity."

"Some apparent contradictions dissolve when we attend carefully to ambiguity."

"The self is not a simple thing but a complex bundle of properties and relations."

"Intention and context determine what our words refer to."

"We should be humble about what philosophy can ultimately prove."

"The structure of our language constrains but does not determine our thought."