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2 ideas
10001 | An adjective contributes semantically to a noun phrase [Hofweber] |
Full Idea: The semantic value of a determiner (an adjective) is a function from semantic values to nouns to semantic values of full noun phrases. | |
From: Thomas Hofweber (Number Determiners, Numbers, Arithmetic [2005], §3.1) | |
A reaction: This kind of states the obvious (assuming one has a compositional view of sentences), but his point is that you can't just eliminate adjectival uses of numbers by analysing them away, as if they didn't do anything. |
7697 | On Russell's analysis, the sentence "The winged horse has wings" comes out as false [Jacquette] |
Full Idea: It is infamous that on Russell's analysis the sentences "The winged horse has wings" and "The winged horse is a horse" are false, because in the extant domain of actual existent entities there contingently exist no winged horses | |
From: Dale Jacquette (Ontology [2002], Ch. 6) | |
A reaction: This is the best objection I have heard to Russell's account of definite descriptions. The connected question is whether 'quantifies over' is really a commitment to existence. See Idea 6067. |