Original scientific paper
Socio-historical Causal Descriptivism. A Hybrid and Alternative Theory of Names
Chen Bo
; Peking University, Peking, PR China
Abstract
This paper argues for a hybrid and alternative theory of names—Sociohistorical Causal Descriptivism, which consists of six claims: (1) the referring relation between a name and an object originates from a generalized “initial baptism” of that object. (2) The causal chain of the name N fi rstly and mainly transmits informative descriptions of N’s bearer. (3) The meaning of N consists of an open-ended collection of informative descriptions of N’s bearer acknowledged by a linguistic community. (4) With respect to practical needs of agents there is s weighted order in the collection of descriptions of N’s bearer. (5) The meaning or even partial meaning of N, together with the background of a discourse, the network of knowledge, speaker’s intention, etc., determines the referent of N. (6) All names have their own referents, including physical individuals, and parasitic, fictional, or intensional objects; there are few names absolutely without reference.
Keywords
Name; description; descriptivism; referentialism; sociohistorical causal descriptivism
Hrčak ID:
180019
URI
Publication date:
11.4.2016.
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