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Single Idea 10452
[filed under theme 5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / b. Names as descriptive
]
Full Idea
Like it or not, proper names have non-referential uses, including not only attributive but even predicate uses.
Gist of Idea
Proper names can be non-referential - even predicate as well as attributive uses
Source
Kent Bach (What Does It Take to Refer? [2006], 22.2 L1)
Book Ref
'Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Language', ed/tr. Lepore,E/Smith,B [OUP 2008], p.538
A Reaction
'He's a right little Hitler'. 'You're doing a George Bush again'. 'Try to live up to the name of Churchill'.
The
24 ideas
from Kent Bach
12900
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How could 'S knows he has hands' not have a fixed content?
[Bach]
|
12901
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If contextualism is right, knowledge sentences are baffling out of their context
[Bach]
|
12902
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Sceptics aren't changing the meaning of 'know', but claiming knowing is tougher than we think
[Bach]
|
10439
|
What refers: indefinite or definite or demonstrative descriptions, names, indexicals, demonstratives?
[Bach]
|
10440
|
An object can be described without being referred to
[Bach]
|
10446
|
Fictional reference is different inside and outside the fiction
[Bach]
|
10441
|
If we can refer to things which change, we can't be obliged to single out their properties
[Bach]
|
10447
|
We can refer to fictional entities if they are abstract objects
[Bach]
|
10442
|
We can think of an individual without have a uniquely characterizing description
[Bach]
|
10443
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You 'allude to', not 'refer to', an individual if you keep their identity vague
[Bach]
|
10444
|
Definite descriptions can be used to refer, but are not semantically referential
[Bach]
|
10445
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It can't be real reference if it could refer to some other thing that satisfies the description
[Bach]
|
10455
|
Free logic at least allows empty names, but struggles to express non-existence
[Bach]
|
10453
|
In logic constants play the role of proper names
[Bach]
|
10454
|
In first-order we can't just assert existence, and it is very hard to deny something's existence
[Bach]
|
10456
|
Millian names struggle with existence, empty names, identities and attitude ascription
[Bach]
|
10452
|
Proper names can be non-referential - even predicate as well as attributive uses
[Bach]
|
10457
|
Since most expressions can be used non-referentially, none of them are inherently referential
[Bach]
|
10459
|
Context does not create reference; it is just something speakers can exploit
[Bach]
|
10460
|
'That duck' may not refer to the most obvious one in the group
[Bach]
|
10458
|
People slide from contextual variability all the way to contextual determination
[Bach]
|
10461
|
What a pronoun like 'he' refers back to is usually a matter of speaker's intentions
[Bach]
|
10462
|
Information comes from knowing who is speaking, not just from interpretation of the utterance
[Bach]
|
10463
|
Just alluding to or describing an object is not the same as referring to it
[Bach]
|