Full Idea
A rigid use of a definite description need not be referential: it may be attributive. Thus I may say: 'The actual F, whoever he is, is G'.
Gist of Idea
A rigid definite description can be attributive, not referential: 'the actual F, whoever he is….'
Source
François Recanati (Mental Files [2012], 2.2)
Book Reference
Recanati,François: 'Mental Files' [OUP 2012], p.18
A Reaction
Recanati offers this as a criticism of the attempted 2-D solution to descriptivist accounts of singularity. The singularity is not strong enough, he says.
Related Ideas
Idea 16350 Two-D semantics is said to help descriptivism of reference deal with singular objects [Recanati]
Idea 16351 In 2-D semantics, reference is determined, then singularity by the truth of a predication [Recanati]