Single Idea 16364

[catalogued under 19. Language / C. Assigning Meanings / 9. Indexical Semantics]

Full Idea

Indexicals do not refer; only tokens of an indexical refer

Gist of Idea

Indexical don't refer; only their tokens do

Source

François Recanati (Mental Files [2012], 5.1)

Book Reference

Recanati,François: 'Mental Files' [OUP 2012], p.57


A Reaction

Thus 'Thurs 23rd March 2013' refers, but 'now' doesn't, unless someone produces an utterance of it. This is why indexicals are sometimes called 'token-reflexives'.