Single Idea 21700

[catalogued under 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 7. Meaning Holism / a. Sentence meaning]

Full Idea

The new freedom that Russell confers by paraphrasis (of definite descriptions) is our reward for recognising that the unit of communication is the sentence and not the word.

Gist of Idea

Taking sentences as the unit of meaning makes useful paraphrasing possible

Source

Willard Quine (Russell's Ontological Development [1966], p.75)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Theories and Things' [Harvard 1981], p.75


A Reaction

Since many people hardly ever speak a properly formed sentence, I take propositions to be better candidates for this. However, I don't see how we can reject the compositional view (the meanings are assembled).

Related Idea

Idea 21699 Russell offered a paraphrase of definite description, to avoid the commitment to objects [Quine]