ABSTRACT
In the broadest sense, interpretation involves drawing an interesting conclusion from something, as a paleontologist does when she conjectures that the weight of a prehistoric axe handle is too heavy to be used for cutting, but must, therefore, have been used for some other purpose—like sexual selection. Literary interpretation is a crucial dimension in literary criticism, evaluation, and appreciation. Many literary works are very fecund, even if they are not absolutely inexhaustible. Linguistic meaning is an abstract blueprint that can be used in various ways. In the course of ordinary affairs, what people care about is what the speaker intends to communicate by means of the linguist blueprint. Philosophers who resist anti-intentionalism may be labeled, at least initially, as actual intentionalist inasmuch as they believe that actual intentions of authors are relevant to the determination of the meaning of a literary work.
