back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 12796

[from 'On Denoting' by Bertrand Russell, in 5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 2. Descriptions / c. Theory of definite descriptions ]

Full Idea

It is sometimes claimed that the behaviour of definite non-count descriptions shows Russell's Theory of Descriptions itself to be false. ....but it isn't a general theory of descriptions, but precisely a theory of singular descriptions.

Gist of Idea

Non-count descriptions don't threaten Russell's theory, which is only about singulars

Source

comment on Bertrand Russell (On Denoting [1905]) by Henry Laycock - Words without Objects 3.1

Book Reference

Laycock,Henry: 'Words without Objects' [OUP 2006], p.101