Lycan, william g philosophy of language a contemporary. Paul elbourne presents the first fullyargued defence of the fregean view. Donnellan as denoting and the referential use of definite descriptions is not recognized on russells view. The definite descriptions the person in space and the senator from ohio are improper because the noun phrase x applies to more than one thing, and the definite descriptions the first man on mars and the senator from some country are improper because x applies to nothing. Synthese library monographs on epistemology, logic, methodology, philosophy of science, sociology of science and of knowledge, and on the mathematical methods of social and behavioral sciences, vol 40. Logic and pragmatics of attributive and referential.
The two uses differ in how they contribute to the truth conditions of an utterance containing them. Since there is no king of france now, it seems that the definite description. The passage you quote is from keith donnellans paper, reference and definite descriptions. In the case of names, for example, a causal theory of reference typically involves the following claims. In his essay, reference and definite descriptions, keith donnellan sought to improve upon strawsons distinction. If the expressions fail to refer, then there is a presupposition failure and the utterance fails to have a determinate truth value. Right now, we have a 2to1 matching gift campaign, so you can triple your impact, but time is running out. Now consider some ancient artifact i have never seen or interacted with. The central contribution of this paper is the distinction between attributive and referential uses of descriptions. Strawsons idea was that descriptions refer because their anaphoric pronouns do. Hinterland distinction essay examples download free or.
Russellianism and referential uses of descriptions. One way of viewing these puzzles is as raising a difficulty, in the first instance, for the conjunction of the view that denoting phrases are to be grouped with names with the view that the significance of a name is exhausted by its reference. Routledge contemporary introductions to philosophy series editor. A definite description is a denoting phrase in the form of the x where x is a nounphrase or a singular common noun. Russell had argued that the proper semantic treatment of a definite description such as the present king of france was quantificational. This volume presents a highly focused collection of articles by donnellan, beginning with his 1966 groundbreaking reference and definite descriptions, historically the first move in the direct reference.
Donnellan compared his notion of the referential use of definite descriptions with russells. Chapter 6 uses the apparatus of chapter 2 in a criticism of keith donnellans distinction between referential and attributive employments of definite descriptions. Keith donnellan according to keith donnellan, there are two distinct ways we may use a definite description such as the current emperor of germany is gray, and thus makes his distinction between the referential and the attributive use of a definite description. How to cite chicago author date papers your paper is about.
If the expressions fail to refer, then there is a presupposition failure and the utterance fails to have a. Keith donnellan 1966 contrasted two uses of definite descriptions, the referential and the attributive. The distinction made by keith donnellan donnellan 1966 between referential and nonreferential uses of definite descriptions is wellknown. Artificial intelligence, bibliography artificial intelligence. Naming, necessity, and natural kinds internet archive. Names highlighted in blue have links to biographies or web pages of the corresponding persons, places, or things. An object is referred to in virtue of possessing uniquely the properties mentioned in the definite description. This page contains the combined bibliography for many of the web pages on this site. He first explains the two uses in a very plain way. Both kinds of uses of definite descriptions involve denotationa definite description denotes an entity if that entity fits the description uniquely.
Most recently, rtd has been defended by various philosophers and even developed in promising ways to bring it into harmony with generative grammar in noam chomsky s sense, particularly by stephen neale. Kodi archive and support file community software vintage software apk msdos cdrom software cdrom software library console living room software sites tucows software library shareware cdroms software capsules compilation cdrom images zx spectrum doom level cd. An innovative philosopher, donnellan s primary contributions were published in article form rather than books. And as donnellan notes, when a definite description is used. Moreover, a definite description occurring in one and the same sentence may, on different occasions of its use, function in either way.
Sep 23, 2015 lycan, william g philosophy of language a contemporary introduction 1. University of calgary bertrand russells theory of definite. Jan 25, 2005 russell raises on puzzle to do with indefinite descriptions, and three important puzzles about the functioning of definite descriptions. Essays on reference, language, and mind by keith donnellan. Definite descriptions are ambiguous analysis oxford. A speaker who uses a definite description attributively in an assertion states. According to keith donnellan, there are two distinct ways we may use a definite description such as the current emperor of kentucky is gray, and thus makes his distinction between the referential and the attributive use of a definite description. Get more argumentative, persuasive hinterland distinction essay samples and other research papers after sing up. Chapter is a criticism of the standard theory of reference with searle and strawson cast as its defenders. And, in spite of their opposition, they share some false assumptions in common. In 1903 russell developed his view that for a use of a proper name to refer directly to an. Now i have no doubt that i would, by uttering this, refer to donnellan. In reference and definite descriptions, donnellan does not mention the intentiontrumpsliteral meaning idea until well into the paper. Donnellan references a disagreement between russell and strawson about the correct way to understand definite descriptions, that is constructions that might have the form the f.
Later in the chapter wettstein traces the evolving descriptions of the cognitive requirement for reference through donnellan s work, beginning with the relatively unanalyzed notion of having in mind in reference and definite descriptions and carrying through to the more intentionbased and historicallybased formulations of donnellan s later. Definite descriptions paperback paul elbourne oxford. Chapter 5 is a presentation and elaboration of the causal or the historical explanation theory of names, the new theory of names which, i claim, requires a gricean theory of reference. Definite description definition at, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Small 1988 word expert parsing revisited in a cognitive science perspective, in small. The intense debate that followed donnellan s paper focused on the contrast between donnellan and russell, leaving strawson aside. Donnellan spent most of his career at ucla, having also previously taught at the universit. For more than 50 years now, donnellans distinction between referential and attributive descriptions has been discussed, criticized, supported and. Finally i look critically at neales new view in this, that, and the other that the debate between referentialists and russellians is the product of a powerful illusion. Fictional utterances chapter 3 differ in a different kind of way from straightforward nonfictional discourse. His most influential work was his 1966 paper reference and definite descriptions. In using a definite description referentially the speaker communicates content about a particular object in mind,1 whereas in using the same description attributively the speaker communicates content about whatever object uniquely satisfies the description.
Proper names are disguised definite descriptions and an object becomes the referent of the. How do definite descriptions function semantically. Denise retzlaff graduate program administrator for their generous assistance. While it is now widely acknowledged that, like the indexical expressions i, here, and now, definite descriptions in natural language are contextsensitive, there is significant. The restricted search hypothesis assumes that addressees rely on the principle of optimal design and understand definite reference by restricting the search for referents to entities in common.
Read good research paper on comparison of three papers and other exceptional papers on every subject and topic college can throw at you. The aim of this thesis is to put in both historical and logical perspective certain features of current theories of reference. Pdf issues in the semantics and pragmatics of definite. At the syntactic level, they contribute a free variable that must be assigned a referent in order for the sentence to be truth evaluable. Theory of descriptions wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Uniquenessbased theories hold that the use of definite noun phrases presupposes. How to cite chicago authordate papers your paper is about.
Moser, loyola university of chicago this innovative, wellstructured series is for students who have already done an introductory course in philosophy. Indefinite descriptions refer to novel items, definite descriptions to familiar ones. Chapter 5 some conclusions about successful referring, language and descriptions. Donnellan, in reference and definite descriptions,1 deepened strawsons.
I argue for a referential view of definite descriptions. We can now explain some of the limitations of ir systems with this observation. He pointed out that there are two uses of definite descriptions. The ambiguity of definite descriptions by michael mckinsey. Donnellan argues that neither russell nor strawson is right. A gricean theory of reference ubc library open collections. Having in mind ucr department of philosophy university of. This volume presents a highly focused collection of articles by donnellan, beginning with his 1966 groundbreaking reference and definite descriptions, historically the first move in the direct reference direction. In naming and necessity, kripke states that donnellans remarks about reference have little to do with semantics or truth conditions, though they may be relevant to a theory of speec hacts naming and n. Strawson and keith donnellan have given notable, well known criticisms of the theory.
How uniqueness guides definite description processing summary. Keith donnellan is one of the major figures in 20th century philosophy of language and mind, a key member of the highly influential group that altered the course of philosophy of language and mind around 1970. Interest in the philosophy of language has also been enduringand has blossomed anew in the past century. In the first attributive case, the definite description might be said to occur essentially, for the speaker wishes to assert something about whatever or whoever fits that description. This apparently simple conclusion flies in the face of philosophical orthodoxy, which incorporates bertrand russells theory that definite descriptions are devices of quantification. Chapter 2 reference and definite descriptions by keith donnellan and naming and necessity by saul kripke. Donnellans work is mainly in the philosophy of language, with an emphasis on the connections between semantics and pragmatics. In the last forty years, the philosophical discussion on donnellans paper about reference and definite descriptions has mostly focused on the contrast between him and bertrand russell and almost ignored the contrast between him and peter strawson. Attributive uses provide a description of whoever is being referred to. Theory of descriptions wikipedia republished wiki 2. Philosophy of language 1 20192020 university of bologna. According to the view that i advocate, definite descriptions are variables. In naming and necessity, kripke states that donnellan s remarks about reference have little to do with semantics or truth conditions, though they may be relevant to a. Comparison of three papers research papers examples wow.
The discussion of definite and indefinite descriptions in english, phrases of the. Jun 28, 2019 keith bradnam, ian korf blasf research has generated gigabytes of data and now you need to analyse it. Russells theory is an application of the attributive use of definite description in speech acts, whilst strawsons argument against russell is on the basis of him not recognising the referential role of definite descriptions, however strawson neglects the attributive use and. Issues in the semantics and pragmatics of definite descriptions in english. This might in turn be used to explain the fact that every driver cannot bind a variable. He argues that both russell and strawson make the mistake of attempting to. This book argues that definite descriptions the table, the king of france refer to individuals, as gottlob frege claimed. The theory of descriptions is the philosopher bertrand russells most significant contribution to the philosophy of language. He criticized bertrand russells theory of definite descriptions for overlooking the distinction between referential and attributive use of definite descriptions. It is not hard to see how this standard leads to adopting the principle of identifying descriptions. Keith donnellans arrival at ucla was a significant eventfor me.
Donnellan reference and definite descriptions pdf definite descriptions, i shall argue, have two possible functions. All of these possibilities will be discussed in due course, but for now we. Philosophy 565 donnellan, reference and definite descriptions. What role does mutual knowledge play in the comprehension process.
The theory of reference came to life as a separate subject around the turn of the century in the writings of gottlob frege and rertrand russell. Strawson has shown russells theory of definite descriptions. Donnellan, reference and definite descriptions, in readings in the. How uniqueness guides definite description processing summary recent theories of definiteness are largely based on the notions of uniqueness kadmon, 1990. Speakers reference and semantic reference saul kripke 1 am going to discuss some issues inspired by a wellknown paper of keith donnellan, reference and definite descriptions, but the interestto meof the contrast mentioned in my title goes beyond donnellan s paper. Such theories have been used to describe many referring terms, particularly logical terms, proper names, and natural kind terms.
Strawson first became well known with his article on referring 1950, a criticism of bertrand russells theory of descriptions see also definite descriptions that russell explained in the famous on denoting article. His formal training is in molecular biology but he has had a fondness for computer programming since his early teens. In reference and definite descriptions, keith donnellan claimed that bertrand russell and peter strawson ignored referential uses of definite descriptions. In this paper, he challenges the canonical view, due to bertrand russell, about definite descriptions. Keith donnellan observed that speakers use descriptions not only as devices of. Keith donnellan in his 1966 paper reference and definite descriptions introduces the distinction between attributive and referential uses of definite descriptions. A causal theory of reference is a theory of how terms acquire specific referents. Definite descriptions, i shall argue, have two possible functions. Definite description definition of definite description at.
John mcdowell literal meaning and fictional utterance lrb. Proper names and identifying descriptions springerlink. Donnellan contributed to the philosophy of language, notably to the analysis of proper names and definite descriptions. Essays on reference, language, and mind keith donnellan, joseph almog, paolo leonardi on. Russellianism and referential uses of descriptions russellianism and referential uses of descriptions feit, neil 20041007 00. Furthermore, on russells view the type of expression that comes closest to performing the function of the referential use of definite descriptions turns out, as one might suspect, to be a.
Donnellans target donnellan distinguishes between two uses of definite descriptions. In short, russell argued that the syntactic form of descriptions phrases that took the form of the aardvark and an aardvark is misleading, as it does not correlate their logical and. Forthcoming in a volume on the work of keith donnellan, edited by. Now, in english, the articles an and the are determiners. Theory of descriptions project gutenberg selfpublishing. Keith donnellan, reference and definite descriptions. Although their theories are quite different in detail, they have some important features in common. Strawson on the other hand attempts to offer an improved theory in regard to ordinary language use however, the counterexamples he provides are not intuitive uses of language. Indeed, my argument purports to establish a distinction between referential and attributive uses of definite descriptions, a distinction made famous by donnellan in 3. Other articles where definite description is discussed. A prominent and very influential example is saul kripkes. Keith donnellan, joseph almog, and paolo leonardi function is the referential use of definite description, in. This new title in the routledge series, critical concepts in philosophy, meets the need for an authoritative reference work to make sense of the subjects vast literature and the continuing explosion in research output. We now have a problem at the level of 6 theoria 21919.
I meaning and reference, names and descriptions frege, russell, quine, kripke, putnam, strawson, donnellan, perry, lewis ii pragmatics. Pdf demonstrative reference and definite descriptions. Get more argumentative, persuasive keith sabin essay samples and other research papers after sing up order now. Theories of reference ubc library open collections.
The pragmatics of this distinction can not be discussed in isolation. Attributive and referential uses of descriptions in. Reference and definite descriptions two uses of descriptions donnellan argues that neither russell nor strawson is right. How incorrect information delivers correct search results. Dear internet archive community, ill get right to it. Russell in the classic paper on denoting treats them as being equivalent to the one and only thing that is f. It is not hard to see how this standard leads to adopting the principle of identifying descriptions for proper names. He argues that both russell and strawson make the mistake of attempting to analyse sentences. Besides their referential use, singular terms may also be used quantificationally. Keith sedgwick donnellan was an american philosopher and professor reference and definite descriptions has been one of.