Quote: definite descriptions--its component words determine its meaning; compare with names, e.g., 'Scott is the author of Waverly'

Quotation

One very important point about the definition of "a so-and-so" applies equally to "the so-and-so"; the definition to be sought is a definition of propositions in which this phrase occurs, not a definition of the phrase itself in isolation. ... Take the proposition, "Scott is the author of Waverly." We have here a name, "Scott," and a [definite] description, "the author of Waverly," which are asserted to apply to the same person. ... [p. 174] We have, then, two things to compare: (1) a name, which is a simple symbol, directly designating an individual which is its meaning, and having this meaning in its own right, independently of the meanings of all other words; (2) a description, which consists of several words, whose meanings are already fixed, and from which results whatever is to be taken as the "meaning" of the description. [Higg.: definite descriptions in Russell's logic introduced by an inverted iota, a qualifier]   Google-1   Google-2

Published before 1923

Additional Titles

Quote: a name is a simple symbol that directly designates an individual

Related Topics

Topic: denoting phrases and definite descriptions (21 items)
Topic: proper names (35 items)