back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 6412

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

Full Idea

Russell's analysis of 'the baby is crying' seems to imply that this can only be true if there is just one baby in the world; ..to dispose of the objection, it seems necessary to appeal implicitly or explicitly to a 'domain of discourse'.

Gist of Idea

Russell implies that 'the baby is crying' is only true if the baby is unique

Source

comment on Bertrand Russell (On Denoting [1905]) by A.C. Grayling - Russell Ch.2

Book Reference

Grayling,A.C.: 'Russell' [OUP 1996], p.37


A Reaction

This objection leads to ordinary language philosophy, and the 'pragmatics' of language. It is standard in modern predicate logic to specify the domain over which an expression is quantified.