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Ideas for 'Posthumous notes', 'Identity and Necessity' and 'Presupposition and Conversational Implicature'

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2 ideas

5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / b. Names as descriptive

9175	We may fix the reference of 'Cicero' by a description, but thereafter the name is rigid [Kripke]
	Full Idea: We may fix the reference of 'Cicero' by use of some descriptive phrase, such as 'author of these works'. But once we have this reference fixed, we then use the name 'Cicero' rigidly to designate the man who in fact we have identified by his authorship.
	From: Saul A. Kripke (Identity and Necessity [1971], p.183)
	A reaction: Even supposedly rigid names can shift reference, as Evans's example of 'Madagascar' shows (Idea 9041). Reference is a much more social activity than Kripke is willing to admit. There is a 'tradition' of reference (Dummett) for the name 'Cicero'.

5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / c. Names as referential

9171	The function of names is simply to refer [Kripke]
	Full Idea: The function of names is simply to refer.
	From: Saul A. Kripke (Identity and Necessity [1971], p.167)
	A reaction: This is Kripke reverting to the John Stuart Mill view of names. If I say "you are a right Casanova" I don't simply refer to Casanova. In notorious examples like 'Homer' reference is fine, but the object of reference is a bit elusive.