Carnap's theory of descriptions and its problems

DOI10.1007/S11225-010-9243-9MaRDI QIDQ969430zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Jan Heylen

Publication date 7 May 2010

Published in Studia Logica (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://lirias.kuleuven.be/handle/123456789/260882

zbMATH Keywords

definite descriptionsmodal logicRudolf Carnap

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Philosophical and critical aspects of logic and foundations (03A05) Modal logic (including the logic of norms) (03B45)

Review text

\textit{R. Carnap} offered, e.g.\ in his [Meaning and necessity. A study in semantics and modal logic. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press (1947; Zbl 0034.00106)], not only a first-order modal logic, but also a theory of descriptions in its context. Unfortunately he chose, without explanation, two critical restrictions to the form of descriptions. Using self-predication principles, i.e.\ principles of the form \(\phi(\iota{x}\phi(x))\) for suitably chosen formulas \(\phi\), the author critically discusses previous approaches of \textit{D. Føllesdal} [Referential opacity and modal logic. London: Routledge (2004; Zbl 1118.03301)] and \textit{G. Martí} [J. Philos. Log. 23, No. 6, 575--593 (1994; Zbl 0812.03006)] to give the explanations which are missing in Carnap's presentation. He argues that Martí's solution of the problem is inadequate, and that Føllesdal's arguments partly fail, but can suitably be relaxed. However, also this author argues that Carnap's theory of descriptions is inadequate in dealing with improper descriptions.

Recommendations

• Marti on descriptions in Carnap's S2
• Definite descriptions
• On the Philosophical foundations of free description theory
• Do modal distinctions collapse in Carnap's systems?
• The theory of descriptions revisited

Cites work

• An argument concerning the unknowable
• Descriptions and unknowability
• Do modal distinctions collapse in Carnap's systems?
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 755666 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5029987 (Why is no real title available?)
• Marti on descriptions in Carnap's S2
• Modalities and Quantification
• Quine on modality
• Rethinking Quine's argument on the collapse of modal distinctions

Cited in

(7)

• Do modal distinctions collapse in Carnap's systems?
• Marti on descriptions in Carnap's S2
• Reasoning about arbitrary natural numbers from a Carnapian perspective
• The epistemic significance of numerals
• Carnap's move to semantics: Gains and losses
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 823613 (Why is no real title available?)
• Carnap's Ramseyfications defended

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