b. 1933
David Kaplan is an American philosopher best known for his foundational work in philosophical logic and the philosophy of language. His theory of demonstratives and direct reference has profoundly shaped contemporary discussions of indexicals, context, and meaning.
Developed the formal logic of demonstratives and indexicals in 'Demonstratives'
Advanced the theory of direct reference, distinguishing character from content
Contributed to quantified modal logic and the semantics of proper names
Long-standing professor at UCLA, shaping generations of philosophers of language
Authored influential work on Frege's puzzle and propositional attitudes