On two interpretations of definite descriptions | Tomsk State University Journal of Philosophy, Sociology and Political Science. 2014. № 2 (26).

On two interpretations of definite descriptions

The subject of the paper is the problem of interpretation of definite descriptions in sentences containing a definite description and a singular term. I argue that, in such contexts, definite descriptions can be interpreted, in the light of the Russellian analysis, in two ways: as singular terms and as individuating predicates. These interpretations demand to interpret the sentence copula as expressing the identity or the subject-predicate relation respectively. I criticize V. Surovtsev's claim that, in contexts specified, definite descriptions allow for the first interpretation only.

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Keywords

определенная дескрипция, копула, сингулярный термин, предикат, тождество, Рассел, Суровцев, definite description, copula, singular term, predicate, identity, Russell, Surovtsev

Authors

NameOrganizationE-mail
Borisov Evgeny VasilyevichTomsk State Universityevgeny_borisov@mail.ru
Всего: 1

References

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Рассел Б. Об обозначении // Язык, истина, существование. Томск: Изд-во Том. ун-та, 2002. С. 7-22.
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Marti G. Direct Reference and Definite Descriptions // dialectica. Vol. 62, № 1 (2008). P. 43-57.
Borisov E. How Do We Use Definite Descriptions to Express Singular Propositions? // Problemos. № 85 (2014). P. 130-140.
Kripke S. Russell's Notion of Scope // Mind. 2005. Vol. 114, № 456. P. 1005-1037.
 On two interpretations of definite descriptions | Tomsk State University Journal of Philosophy, Sociology and Political Science. 2014. № 2 (26).

On two interpretations of definite descriptions | Tomsk State University Journal of Philosophy, Sociology and Political Science. 2014. № 2 (26).