Sense now it is plausible to connect with a sign name, word combination. Freges argument about the sense and reference of a sentence. The role of identity statements in the theory of number of grundg esetze and basic law v is the concern of 9, and finally, in 10, we turn to freges ultimate meditation on identity statements, his most famous essay, on sense and reference. It is clear that this framework is based on some of freges concepts. It might, for instance, be taken to be the following. Then, by her awareness of how she has specified the reference, she is aware of the way the reference is fixed, and hence is aware of the sense. A predicate expresses a sense that presents a set of objects or, more accurately, the characteristic function of a set of objects. In this formal system, frege developed an analysis. This chapter analyzes freges theory of sense and reference.
Mar 18, 2015 an explanation of gottlob frege s solutions to frege s puzzle and the problem of propositional attitude reports using frege s theory of sense and reference. An explanation of gottlob freges solutions to freges puzzle and the problem of propositional attitude reports using freges theory of sense. This book provides a completely new and systematic account of frege s philosophy by focusing on its cornerstone. The puzzle about identity how can aa convey anything different from ab. Freges writings are difficult and deal with technical, abstract concepts. Given the questions to be answered, and the nature of frege s overall philosophy, these concerns naturally evolved to take on the form of thinking about how frege would have developed a system of intensional logic for the theory of sinn and bedeutung. Potentially important distinction that frege is going to ignore. Pdf mark textor, frege on sense and reference researchgate. Freges on sense and reference philosophy of language. It provides a thorough introduction to the functionargument analysis and applies freges technique to the central notions of predication, identity, existence and truth. In the philosophy of language, the distinction between sense and reference was an innovation or significance, but rendered by frege s translators as reference, referent, meaning, nominatum, etc. Frege s reasons for thinking that a theory of reference must be supplemented with a theory of sense. A relation between objects, or between names or signs of objects. Frege examines the question of how the object which is designated by a sign is related to the meaning which is expressed by the sign.
And what frege appears to focus on in on sense and reference is the question relative to what value or aim the relation of proper names to the objects they stand for that is, their reference in dummetts terminology is significant. Freges theory of sense and reference although frege accepted something like the naive theory in his early work, he later rejected it for reasons like those given above. Frege, on sense and nominatum reference theory of meaning. What i used to call judgeable content is now divided into thought and truthvalue. According to frege, the reference theory of meaning is not true.
Frege has introduced a naive set theory into the system, and so inviting. Selections introduction and 14, 4569, 8791, 1049 with summaries of the remaining sections. General principles for freges doctrine of sense and reference are sated, for both direct and indirect quotation, to be understood iteratively. The routledge philosophy guidebook to frege on sense and reference helps the student to get to grips with freges thought, and introduces and assesses. That he regarded the theory of reference as the central concept directly coincides with freges formulation. Bedeutung bedeutungswou instead of having a sense sinnvouy.
According to the curriculum vitae that the 26year old frege filed in 1874 with his habilitationsschrift, he was born on november 8, 1848 in wismar, a town then in mecklenburgschwerin but now in mecklenburgvorpommern. Mark textors book, frege on sense and reference, is published in. Its philosophical interest has been a matter of some controversy, most of which has concerned the status of hp itself. That he regarded the theory of reference as the central concept directly coincides with frege s formulation. Freges most explicit use of this is in the beginning of.
Pdf on mar 30, 2020, rachel boddy and others published frege on. Freges puzzle about identity sentences as frege says at the outset of on. Mark t extors book, frege on sense and reference, is published in the routledge philosophy guidebooks series, which is intended to painlessly introduce students to the classic works of. Recap frege is responding to the reference theory of meaning for singular terms. Set theory t 1908, reprinted in from frege to godel. Each of a, b, and c can be taken with either reading ofbedeutungyielding six principles. This book is an analysis of freges views on language metaphysics raised in on sense reference, arguably one of the most important philosophical essays of the past hundred years. What treatment of identity statements will explain the difference.
We here translate freges terms into english as sense and reference, respectively. Judgement in the nar rower sense could be characterized as a. There is in a sense a backward road from references to senses. Take n separately and a synthesis of both the theo ries in the light of pr oper names presents freges theory of. This book is an analysis of frege s views on language metaphysics raised in on sense reference, arguably one of the most important philosophical essays of the past hundred years. Inhalt of a sign is just this pairing of a sense and a reference, such that the. Freges theory of indirect contexts and the shift of sense and reference in these contexts has puzzled many. Freges reasons for thinking that a theory of reference must be supplemented with a theory of sense.
The indirect sense of a sentence is its meaning to the subject of the main clause thought. Truth rules, hoverflies, and the kripkewittgenstein paradox. It provides a thorough introduction to the functionargument analysis and applies frege s technique to the central notions of predication, identity, existence and truth. In our example, accordingly, the reference of the expressions the point of intersection of a and b and the point of intersection of b and c would be the same, but not their senses. The aim of this book is to place freges theory of sense and reference in the context of his general philosophical framework and to support the general view that freges theory of sense and reference belongs to the epistemological tradition of modern philosophy that stems from kant vii. Sep 20, 2008 the present paper argues that the key to freges theory lies in the fact that whenever a reference is specified even though many senses determine a single reference, it is specified in a particular way, so that giving a reference implies giving a sense. As we will see, russell deals with both individually.
Dummett took the theory of reference and sense as the principal of the theory of meaning, which is exactly the primary content of freges philosophy of language. For more recent attempts to defend a neofregean conception of logicism with which 1 believe frege would have had scant sympathy, see bob hale and. Argues that frege is committed to a doctrine of acquaintance and revelatory senses. Kripkes frege kripkes frege theory of sense and reference. The semantic conception of truth, and the foundations of semantics stoljar. Gottlob frege has exerted an enormous influence on the evolution of twentiethcentury philosophy, yet the real significance of that influence is still very much a matter of debate. Lecture notes introduction to philosophy of language. Freges response to this objection is to distinguish between the direct sense and the indirect sense of a sentence. Frege and the logic of sense and reference kevin c. Gottlob freges sense and reference linkedin slideshare. Routledge philosophy guidebook to frege on sense and reference. Frege tends to describe the sense as if it is descriptive in. Wolfgang carl, freges theory of sense and reference.
On sense and reference gottlob frege as reprinted in a. Dummett took the theory of reference and sense as the principal of the theory of meaning, which is exactly the primary content of frege s philosophy of language. He formulated a radical alternative, his famous theory of sinn and bedeutung. In the philosophy of language, the distinction between sense and reference was an innovation or significance, but rendered by freges translators as reference, referent, meaning, nominatum, etc. Freges theory of sense and reference by wolfgang carl. For everyone who specifies a reference must do so in some way. Judgement in the nar rower sense could be characterized as a transition from a thought. The direct sense of a sentence is the stand alone meaning of the sentence, i. Some exegetical notes focuses on frege on the hierarchy of senses and on the senses of i and now.
Equality 1 gives rise to challenging questions which are not altogether easy to answer. The conclusion is to ascribe to frege an implicit doctrine of acquaintance similar to that of russell. Some forms of influence 359 recognized that in the foundations ofarithmetic he had used bedeutung sometimes to mean what he later meant by bedeutung and sometimes to mean what he later meant by sinn. His father, alexander, a headmaster of a secondary school for girls, and his mother, auguste nee bialloblotzky, brought him up in the. Because the sense of a whole proposition is determined by the senses of the parts, and the reference of a whole proposition is determined by the parts, frege claims that propositions in which such expressions appear are able to express thoughts, but are neither true nor false, fregf no references are determined gefanke them. The sense of a word is how its reference is presented. Frege s theory of indirect contexts and the shift of sense and reference in these contexts has puzzled many. Kripke the city university of new york, graduate center abstract. May 06, 2020 frege on sense and nominatum pdf admin may 6, 2020 in the philosophy of language, the distinction between sense and reference was an innovation or significance, but rendered by freges translators as reference, referent, meaning, nominatum, etc. Frege, gottlob internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Given the questions to be answered, and the nature of freges overall philosophy, these concerns naturally evolved to take on the form of thinking about how frege would have developed a system of intensional logic for the theory of sinn and bedeutung. Nondescriptive fregean theories will be discussed later. We have now seen how a theory of reference a theory that assigns to each expression of the language a reference, which is what it.
Redressing freges failure to develop a logical calculus for the theory of. Frege on sense and reference ted sider phil language basic idea. Sinn to accommodate difficulties in his early theory of meaning 965 first, if the entire significance of a sentence consists of its truth value, it follows that the sentence will have the same significance if we replace a word of the sentence with one having an identical reference, as this will not change its truth value. It is argued that an indirect sense must be immediately revelatory of its reference. Meaningful pieces of language have two levels of meaning, their sense and their reference. The aim of this book is to place frege s theory of sense and reference in the context of his general philosophical framework and to support the general view that frege s theory of sense and reference belongs to the epistemological tradition of modern philosophy that stems from kant vii. The present paper argues that the key to freges theory lies in the fact that whenever a reference is specified even though many senses determine a single reference, it is specified in a particular way, so that giving a reference implies giving a sense. Freges puzzle about identity sentences as frege says at the outset of on sense and reference, identity gives rise to challenging. So far as i know, noone has really been tempted by that claim. Anybody who does this will attach another sense to the sentence aristotle was born in stagira than will a man who takes as the sense of the name.
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