John searle advocates the theory that proper names function as disguised definite descriptions searle, proper names and intentionality 3316,1 whereas saul kripke2 asserts that proper names function as rigid designators of the objects to which they refer kripke, namining and necessity 48. Intentionality is taken to be the crucial mental phenomenon, and its analysis involves wideranging discussions of perception, action, causation, meaning, and reference. It is generally thought that searles cluster theory of the sense of a proper name was soundly refuted by kripke in naming and necessity. According to the morphological way, proper names stand in onemany or manymany correspondence with their objects, so that aristotle here is just one and the same name that happens to have been given to two different people. If the theory of descriptions can unburden us metaphysically in the case of nondenoting expressions like the present king of france can it do the same for us with nondenoting names like pegasus. The next time one meets with it, one regards it as an icon of that index. The problem of proper names ought to be easy, and at one level i think it is. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. The descriptive theory of proper names is the view that the meaning of a given use of a proper name is a set of properties that can be expressed as a description that picks out an object that satisfies the description.
Aug 23, 2017 searle assumes that the referent of any use of a proper name is determined by descriptive material that the speaker has in mind, independently of any acts of naming belonging to social appellative practices. Linguistic conceptualization of cultural continuum certain debates on the issue may also be prompted by the statement of j. Mercia bcs 22 kcd 984 abo homo heraldi eomitis ellis b abo nomen viri ellis b abonel. Early notables of the searle family pre 1700 another 31 words 2 lines of text are included under the topic early searle notables in all our pdf extended history products and printed products wherever possible. Davis argues that, with some emendations, searles account of proper names not only avoids certain externalist objections, but is clearly preferable to any of the externalist alternatives. Pdf searle on analyticity, necessity, and proper names. It is similar to russells view in that searle regards names as associated with descriptive conditions. Searle on perception 21 the ambiguity between requirements as processes, requiring the imposi tion of a norm or rule, and requirements as things required, the results of those processes. There is no more to the meaning of a proper name than the object it refers to. Reply to problems with searles account of intrinsic intentionality reply to searles biological naturalism.
Searle aims to give an account of the senses of proper names. Searle on proper names and intentionality christopher. We suggest that in the context of searles theory we can consider proper names to be a kind of social institution. How, he asks, van a statement of the form a b, if true, differ in cognitive value from a a.
How proper names refer imogen dickie this paper proposes an account of referencefixing for proper names. Frege 1 argues that they must have senses, for, he asks, how else can identity statements be other than trivially analytic. Searle s central position is that linguistic reference is always dependent on or is a. Enhanced bibliography for this entry at philpapers, with links to its database.
Discover the searle family history for the english origin. Many variations of the name searle have been found, including searle, searles, searl, sarl, sarrell, serrell and others. In the semiotic trichotomy developed by morris, carnap, and peirce in the 1930s, syntax. Natural language strawson, donnellan, searle approach questions. Look up this entry topic at the internet philosophy ontology project inpho.
Perhaps that is not so surprising, since descriptions are complex expressions in that they have independently meaningful parts. The article deals with an applicability of john searles theory of social ontology to linguistic category of proper names. In the philosophy of language, the descriptivist theory of proper names also descriptivist theory of reference is the view that the meaning or semantic content of a proper name is identical to the descriptions associated with it by speakers, while their referents are determined to be the objects that satisfy these descriptions. Searle on analyticity, necessity, and proper names. The account is built around an intuitive claim about referencefixing. Searle went further and ambitiously attempted to list all the anglosaxon names used up to the reign of king john. Thus the loose criteria for proper names is a necessary condition. As its title reveals, searles book gives central attention to intentionality that apparently relational property. Names that corefer do not always communicate the same information. Frege calls all singular expressions generally as proper names. Searle had both assumed that, if a name has a description or cluster associated with it in the ways they have. Proper names, like other expressions that rely on appellative practices, are crucially not oneoff. The simple description theory of names the name claim. Pdf searle on proper names michael mckinsey academia.
It was in oxford, not least through austins influence and example, that the seeds of the book speech acts, searles inaugural opus magnum, were planted. Proper names and intentionality searles account of the problem in this essay, searle emphasizes the notion of intentional content, rather than the cluster of descriptions that kripke uses to characterize searles position. Searles oxford dissertation on the theory of descriptions and proper names contains an incipient treatment of the topic of speech acts, but the latter grew in importance only after he left oxford, making itself felt in the article what is a speech act. It is a contingent fact about aristotle that he taught someone. View the searle surname, family crest and coat of arms. Oxford university press on behalf of the mind association. These include reference, intentionality, and the nature of belief as well as language acquisi. Reprinted in philosophy and ordinary language, edited by charles e. Proper names linguistic conceptualization of cultural continuum. Thus, even if a name in someones mouth at a time has a. A list of anglosaxon proper names from the time of beda to that of king john. Apr 21, 2010 searle argues in proper names and intentionality that kripke failed to address the actual beliefs of descriptivists, accusing him of what can only be seen as straw man arguments. Searle on intentionality ronald mcintyre california state university, northridge john searles intentionality is an important addition to contemporary studies in philosophy of mind and also philosophy of language. Frege 1 argues that they must have senses, for, he asks, how else can identity statements be other than.
Thus, proper names turn out to be important for several reasons. Bertrand russell espoused such a view arguing that the name refers to a description, and that description, like a definition, picks out the bearer of the name. Proper names in communication1 volume 25 issue 2 a. Properists take specific names instead to be the words used in ru, true proper names. Freges puzzle 3 mark twain is samuel langhorne clemens contains two proper names, both of which pick out or denote the same person or thing, and soif the names are millianshould be trivially true. Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. For instance, to one who is ignorant of the fact that the names hesperus i.
Sweet and searle should really be given as much credit as those victorian. The account is built around an intuitive claim about reference fixing. How, he asks, can a statement of the form a b, if true, differ in cognitive value from a a. This paper develops a new account of referencefixing for proper names. I will use the term state of affairs to refer to truth. His proposals for describing and defining the function of proper names in a natural language have been widely accepted by.
He focuses on searles internalist analysis as it applies to the sense and reference of proper names. Millfrege theory of proper names mind oxford academic. The account is intended as a successor to the view that gareth evans proposed in the causal theory of names and revised in the varieties of reference1. My aim is to show that once we appreciate how searle 1958 fills in the details of his account of proper names which i will dub the presuppositional view and how we might supplement it further, we are in for a twofold discovery. In all these areas john searle has original and stimulating views. John searles conception of free will reply to 51 years on. On the one hand, a proper understanding of the ordinary use of proper names illuminates several cognitive phenomena such as language acquisition and use, as well as the nature of thought and belief intentionality. Ronald mcintyre, searle on intentionality, inquiry, 27. The theory of meaning concerning proper names article pdf available in kritike an online journal of philosophy 41 november 2010 with 1,315 reads how we measure reads.
Henceforward this name is used to refer to that object. Searles theory of proper names, from a linguistic point of view. Proper names and their role in social ontology marek nagy palacky university, olomouc abstract. Iiihow proper names refer proceedings of the aristotelian. Direct reference and the causalhistorical theory overview in a further argument against description theories of proper names, kripke. This is ironic, since searles argument against kripke is a straw man argument. Further consideration of the compositional semantics of proper names in the naming construction. Proper names linguistic conceptualization of cultural. Proper names function not as descriptions, but as pegs on which to hang descriptions.
Searle on analyticity, necessity, and proper names zsofia zvolenszky eotvos university, budapest abstract. I raises examples that suggest that a right account of. Pdf gottlob frege may be considered as the first intellectual giant in thephilosophy of language. Direct reference and the causalhistorical theory overview in a further argument against description theories of proper names, kripke appealed to the notion of a possible world or universe alternative to our own. A proper name, when one meets with it for the first time, is existentially connected with some percept or other equivalent individual knowledge of the individual it names.
Proper names and intentionality searle 1982 pacific. Biological naturalism, or something near enough reply to acting on gaps. On the other hand, there is no understanding of proper names. The simple description theory of names russells name claim. Proper names and intentionality searle s account of the problem in this essay, searle emphasizes the notion of intentional content, rather than the cluster of descriptions that kripke uses to characterize searle s position. Searle use freges terms to discuss the issue of proper names, but in fact searle interprets them rather crudely. Direct reference and the causalhistorical theory 49. John searles book intentionality searle 1983 all future page references to searles work are to this book, unless otherwise specified defends views on perception which i find appealing. His answer is that though a and b have the same referent. Searle on proper names and intentionality christopher hurtado.
A list of anglosaxon proper names from the time of beda to that of king john william george searle. From speech acts to social reality barry smith it was in the oxford of austin, ryle and strawson that john searle was shaped as a philosopher. Proper names appear at the heart of several debates in philosophy and the cognitive sciences. Searle argues in proper names and intentionality that kripke failed to address the actual beliefs of descriptivists, accusing him of what can only be seen as straw man arguments. Searles central position is that linguistic reference is always dependent on or is a. View enhanced pdf access article on wiley online library html view download pdf for offline viewing.
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