Week 5: Kinds of Truth - Reference Flashcards
Leibniz’s principle
Leibniz’s principle states that if two objects are identical, then they share all the same properties.
Necessity of identity
The necessity of identity states that if two objects are identical, then they are necessarily identical. In the context of these notes, this principle is not explicitly discussed, but it is related to the idea of rigid designators, which refers to the same individual across all possible worlds.
Scope ambiguity/distinction
Scope ambiguity arises when the scope of an expression, such as a quantifier or a definite description, is unclear in a sentence. Scope distinctions refer to the part of the sentence that an expression controls. Wide scope controls the whole sentence, while narrow scope controls only a subpart of the sentence. Examples of scope ambiguity are provided in the notes with quantifiers, tense, and definite descriptions.
Rigid designators
Rigid designators are terms that refer to the same individual when used to talk about any time or possibility. Examples of rigid designators include proper names (e.g., Aristotle, Beyoncé, New York City), indexicals (e.g., I, here, now), demonstratives (e.g., this, that), and natural kind terms. Non-rigid designators, on the other hand, refer to different things in different possible worlds or times, depending on the context.
Causal Theory of Reference
The causal theory of reference states that proper names pick their referents based on a causal link between the name and the object it refers to. This theory, associated with Kripke, distinguishes the idea that names are rigid designators from the idea that names have their referents determined causally. The standard picture is that descriptions pick referents based on what satisfies the description, while names pick referents based on what causes the use.
De dicto/de re
“De dicto” refers to claims about what is said or believed, while “de re” refers to claims about the actual objects or individuals being discussed.
