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Single Idea 12230

[filed under theme 5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / d. Singular terms ]

Full Idea

Anyone should agree that a justification for regarding a singular term as having objectual reference is provided just as soon as one has justification for regarding as true certain atomic statements in which it functions as a singular term.

Gist of Idea

Singular terms refer if they make certain atomic statements true

Source

B Hale / C Wright (The Metaontology of Abstraction [2009], §9)

Book Ref

'Metametaphysics', ed/tr. Chalmers/Manley/Wasserman [OUP 2009], p.207

A Reaction

The meat of this idea is hidden in the word 'certain'. See Idea 10314 for Hale's explanation. Without that, the proposal strikes me as absurd.

Related Idea

Idea 10314 An expression is a genuine singular term if it resists elimination by paraphrase [Hale]

The 16 ideas with the same theme [any phrase intended to pick out a single object]:

10510 Frege ascribes reference to incomplete expressions, as well as to singular terms [Frege, by Hale]
7757 "Nobody" is not a singular term, but a quantifier [Russell, by Lycan]
2612 Russell rewrote singular term names as predicates [Russell, by Ayer]
9868 An expression refers if it is a singular term in some true sentences [Wright,C, by Dummett]
3137 Varieties of singular terms are used to designate token particulars [Rey]
7755 Singular terms refer, using proper names, definite descriptions, singular personal pronouns, demonstratives, etc. [Lycan]
12230 Singular terms refer if they make certain atomic statements true [Hale/Wright]
10670 A 'singulariser' converts a plural like 'number of' to a syntactically neutral form [Cartwright,H, by Hossack]
10312 Often the same singular term does not ensure reliable inference [Hale]
10313 Plenty of clear examples have singular terms with no ontological commitment [Hale]
10316 We should decide whether singular terms are genuine by their usage [Hale]
10322 If singular terms can't be language-neutral, then we face a relativity about their objects [Hale]
10001 An adjective contributes semantically to a noun phrase [Hofweber]
21636 'Singular terms' are not found in modern linguistics, and are not the same as noun phrases [Hofweber]
21637 If two processes are said to be identical, that doesn't make their terms refer to entities [Hofweber]
16357 Mental files are the counterparts of singular terms [Recanati]