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Single Idea 9868

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

Full Idea

For Wright, an expression refers to an object if it fulfils the 'syntactic role' of a singular term, and if we have fixed the truth-conditions of sentences containing it in such a way that some of them come out true.

Gist of Idea

An expression refers if it is a singular term in some true sentences

Source

report of Crispin Wright (Frege's Concept of Numbers as Objects [1983]) by Michael Dummett - Frege philosophy of mathematics Ch.15

Book Ref

Dummett,Michael: 'Frege: philosophy of mathematics' [Duckworth 1991], p.189

A Reaction

Much waffle is written about reference, and it is nice to hear of someone actually trying to state the necessary and sufficient conditions for reference to be successful. So is it possible for 'the round square' to ever refer? '...is impossible to draw'

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]