StudiesintheWayofWordsPaulGriceprovidedphilosophywithcrucialideas.Hisaccountofspeaker-meaningisthestandardthatothersusetodefinetheirownminordivergencesorfutureelaboration.Hismetaphysicaldefenseofabsonlutevaluesisconsideredthebeginningofanewphasenphilosophy.ThroughoutthisvolumeGricehascarefullyarrangedandframedthesequenceofessaystoemphasizenotacertainsetofideasbutahabitofmind,astyleofphilosophizing.ItisavitalbookforallwhoareinteestedinAnglo-Amcricanphilosophy.
“Gricewasaminiaturistwhochangedthewayotherpeoplepaintbigcanvases.Thequestionofcorrectscaleisultimatelyoneofintellectualjudgment,andinhismagisterial,fastidiousproserebukesthoseofuswhowanttomovefaster.[His]workculminatedintheWilliamJameslecturesdeliveredatHarvardin1967,andphilosopherswillbegratefulforhavingthemfinallyavailableinonevolume,StudiesintheWayofWords,togetherwithmanyotherofGricespapers,andaretrospectiveepilogue,writtenwithintwoyearsofhisdeath.”