PHIL 309: Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy

LARKIN: Spring 2003

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DATE: 1-28-03

I. Objectives

A. Learn a little about modern logic

B. Explicate the argument for the sense/reference distinction in Frege’s “On Sense and Reference”

II. Discussion:

How do we know that 2 + 2 = 4?

III. Lecture:

A. Frege and Modern Logic

B. The First Argument of “Sense and Reference”: Close Reading and Argument Explication

IV. Discussion:

The senses of proper names.

V. Next Time

A. Topic: Frege’s Theory of Meaning

B. Reading: Frege, “Sense and Reference”

C. Reading Questions:

1. Explain Frege’s puzzle and his argument for the sense/reference distinction.

2. What is the relationship between sign, sense, reference, and mental images associated with a term (see the ‘Moon’ analogy)?

3. What does Frege think is the referent of a sentence as a whole? What is his argument for this?

4. What are the three main categories of “subordinate clauses” that cause trouble for Frege’s theory of the reference of a sentence? How does Frege deal with them?