Acts of Reference: An Essay on the Rational Powers of Proper Names

[摘要] My topic is the way we entertain and express thoughts about the particular items we know by proper name. A major goal is to escape teetering between the unsatisfying extremes of Millianism and Descriptivism that continue to define and devil the debate.I recommend a way out of this oscillation by placing proper names within the wider context of intentional acts of utterance. That is, I consider the consequences for this aspect of the theory of meaning and the theory of reference of language use as a form of rational action.

[发布机构] Johns Hopkins University

[效力级别] semantics

[关键词] Proper names;semantics;Philosophy