. Definite Descriptions (original Proposal)
نویسنده
چکیده
What happens when the description is improper? A description νΦ is proper if there is exactly-one entity such that Φ [in the relevant situation]; otherwise, it is improper. We propose to treat improper descriptions as non-starters, which vitiate every expression in which they appear. In particular, an improper description is null [i.e., denotes nothing], and every expression in which it appears is similarly null. So, in the example above, if no man is next to Kay, or two or more men are next to Kay, then ‘the man next to Kay’ is null, and so is every expression containing it.
منابع مشابه
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