Empty Proper Names: Semantic and Epistemological Issues
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14210%2F09%3A00029853" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14210/09:00029853 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
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DOI - Digital Object Identifier
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Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Empty Proper Names: Semantic and Epistemological Issues
Original language description
Millianism is a semantic theory investigating reference-based meaning. Since proper names contribute just their referents to the propositions expressed, empty names pose problems for this approach. The paper suggests that Millianism has to admit that empty names are meaningless. So, empty names semantically differ from non-empty ones. However, Millianism may admit that, in communication, empty names and non-empty ones behave similarly. We argue that proper names, including empty ones, prompt one to create mental surrogates for individuals, if any, they are supposed to represent. The mental surrogates are called pure individuators because they identify individuals in a non-qualitative manner and distinguish objects from each other as merely numericallydistinct. Pure individuators serve also as grounds for gathering information about individuals represented by them. We investigate how pure individuators work and guide our communication.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
O - Miscellaneous
CEP classification
AA - Philosophy and religion
OECD FORD branch
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Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/GP401%2F07%2FP280" target="_blank" >GP401/07/P280: Singular Terms - Philosophy and Logic</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2009
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů