Combining Texts

Ideas for 'The Elm and the Expert', 'The Meaning of 'Meaning'' and 'Causation and Explanation'

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2 ideas

19. Language / B. Reference / 4. Descriptive Reference / a. Sense and reference
Often reference determines sense, and not (as Frege thought) vice versa [Putnam, by Scruton]
     Full Idea: Putnam argues that, Frege notwithstanding, it is often the case that reference determines sense, and not vice versa.
     From: report of Hilary Putnam (The Meaning of 'Meaning' [1975]) by Roger Scruton - Modern Philosophy:introduction and survey 19.6
     A reaction: Does this say anything more than that once you have established a reference, you can begin to collect information about the referent?
It is claimed that reference doesn't fix sense (Jocasta), and sense doesn't fix reference (Twin Earth) [Fodor]
     Full Idea: The standard view is that Frege cases [knowing Jocasta but not mother] show that reference doesn't determine sense, and Twin cases [knowing water but not H2O] show that sense doesn't determine reference.
     From: Jerry A. Fodor (The Elm and the Expert [1993], §1.3)
     A reaction: How about 'references don't contain much information', and 'descriptions may not fix what they are referring to'? Simple really.