Héctor-Neri Castañeda (1924–1991) was a Guatemalan-American philosopher known for his influential work in metaphysics, philosophy of language, epistemology, and philosophy of mind.
Who Was He?
- Born: December 13, 1924, in Guatemala
- Died: September 7, 1991, in Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Education: Earned his PhD at the University of Minnesota under Wilfrid Sellars
- Academic Positions: Best known for his tenure at Indiana University, where he founded the journal Noûs in 1967
Key Philosophical Contributions
1. Quasi-Indicators and the Logic of Self-Reference
Castañeda is best known for developing the concept of quasi-indicators (also called “he/she*”), a way to handle self-reference in thought and language. This was a groundbreaking contribution to theories of:
- Propositional attitudes (like belief, desire, intention)
- Indexicality (words like “I,” “here,” “now”)
His work influenced direct reference theory and anticipated ideas in David Kaplan’s logic of demonstratives and John Perry’s theory of the essential indexical.
2. Guise Theory
He proposed a guise theory of properties and propositions, offering a non-extensional account of predication and belief. A “guise” is like a mode of presentation—a way something appears to the mind—similar in some respects to Frege’s “sense,” but part of a broader metaphysical structure.
3. Intentionality and the Self
Castañeda explored how individuals refer to themselves in thought—he was among the first to formalize the first-person perspective in logic and metaphysics. His analysis of self-consciousness prefigured or influenced later work by thinkers like John Perry, David Lewis, and Robert Stalnaker.
Why He Matters
- His work is technically sophisticated and engages with core questions in analytic philosophy.
- He was a pioneer in formal logic applications to first-person thought and intentionality.
- He bridged philosophy of language and metaphysics in ways that remain highly relevant.
Selected Works
- “Indicators and Quasi-Indicators” (1966) – seminal paper introducing quasi-indicators
- “Thinking and the Structure of the World” (1980) – outlines much of his metaphysical system
- Numerous papers in Noûs and other leading philosophy journals
Let me know if you want a summary of one of his core ideas like quasi-indicators, guise theory, or his work on the self.Attach
Search
Study
Voice
“Héc”