Single Idea 16379

[catalogued under 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 9. Indexical Thought]

Full Idea

When Dr Lauben thinks he has been wounded, ..only Dr Lauben can grasp thoughts determined in this way. But he cannot communicate a thought which only he can grasp. To say 'I have been wounded' he must use 'I' in a sense graspable by others.

Gist of Idea

Thoughts about myself are understood one way to me, and another when communicated

Source

Gottlob Frege (The Thought: a Logical Enquiry [1918]), quoted by François Recanati - Mental Files 16.1

Book Reference

Recanati,François: 'Mental Files' [OUP 2012], p.209


A Reaction

[compressed] This seems to be the first, and very influential, attempt to explain the unusual and revealing semantics of indexicals. It seems to be the ultimate source of 2-D semantics, by introducing two modes of meaning for one term.