Rethinking the Modal Argument against Nominal Description Theory

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Authors

RACLAVSKÝ Jiří

Year of publication 2008
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Contributions of the Austrian Ludwig Wittgenstein Society
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Arts

Citation RACLAVSKÝ, Jiří. Rethinking the Modal Argument against Nominal Description Theory. Contributions of the Austrian Ludwig Wittgenstein Society. Kirchberg am Wechsel: Austrian Ludwig Wittgenstein Society, 2008, vol. 16, No 1, p. 271-278. ISSN 1022-3398.
Field Philosophy and religion
Keywords modal argument; nominal description theory; singular terms
Description According to the Nominal description theory (NDT), the meaning of a proper name is identical with the meaning of the so-called nominal description. Kripke-like argumentation against NDT by means of modal argument can be doubted because names are introduced by means of a contingent baptizing act. I suggest refinements of the modal argument which filter out such objection. I distinguish two kinds of nominal descriptions: rigid and non-rigid; thus there arise two versions of modal argument, which both are valid. But one of them has a conclusion (targeted against NDT) the truth of which remains disputable. The reformulation of Kripke's thesis I suggest is thus needed.
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