Single Idea 4566

[catalogued under 19. Language / B. Reference / 1. Reference theories]

Full Idea

Any thesis about reference is also going to be a thesis about what there is in existence to refer to.

Gist of Idea

Any thesis about reference is also a thesis about what exists to be referred to

Source

David E. Cooper (Philosophy and the Nature of Language [1973], §4)

Book Reference

Cooper,David E.: 'Philosophy and the Nature of Language' [Longman 1979], p.70


A Reaction

I see the point, but we must not put the cart before the horse. I may have an intuition that something exists, but not know how to refer to it (because of my small vocabulary).