Single Idea 13885

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

Full Idea

If the appearance of reference can be misleading, why cannot an apparent lack of reference be misleading?

Gist of Idea

If apparent reference can mislead, then so can apparent lack of reference

Source

Crispin Wright (Frege's Concept of Numbers as Objects [1983], 2.xi)

Book Reference

Wright,Crispin: 'Frege's Conception of Numbers' [Scots Philosophical Monographs 1983], p.88


A Reaction

A nice simple thought. Analytic philosophy has concerned itself a lot with sentences that seem to refer, but the reference can be analysed away. For me, this takes the question of reference out of the linguistic sphere, which wasn't Wright's plan.