Convention was immediately recognized as a major contribution to the subject and its significance has remained undiminished since its first publication in 1969. Lewis analyzes social conventions as regularities in the resolution of recurring coordination problems-situations characterized by interdependent decision processes in which common interests are at stake. Conventions are contrasted with other kinds of regularity, and conventions governing systems of communication are given special attention.

David Lewis (19412001) was Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University. His publications includeCounterfactuals (reissued by Blackwell 2000),On the Plurality of Worlds (reissued by Blackwell, 2000),Parts of Classes (1991), and numerous articles in metaphysics and other areas. Many of his writings are available in hisCollected Papers.

Foreword by W.V. Quine.

Introduction.

I. Coordination and Convention.

Sample Coordination Problems.

Analysis of Coordination Problems.

Solving Coordination Problems.

Convention.

Sample Conventions.

II. Convention Refined.

Common Knowledge.

Knowledge of Conventions.

Alternatives to Convention.

Degrees of Convention.

Consequences of Conventions.

III. Convention Contrasted.

Agreement.

Social Contracts.

Norms.

Rules.

Conformative Behavior.

Imitation.

Meaning of Signals.

IV. Convention and Communication.

Sample Signals.

Analysis of Signaling.

Verbal Signaling.

Conventional Meaning of Signals.

V. Conventions of Language.

Possible Languages.

Grammars.

Semantics in a Possible Language.

Conventions of Truthfulness.

Semantics in a Population.

Conclusion.

Index.