LARKIN:
Spring 2003
________________________________________
DATE: 2-04-03
I.
Objectives
A.
Explicate
First Sections of Russell’s “On Denoting”
B.
Compare
Russell and Frege on certain key points
II.
Discussion:
Frege’s notion of Sense
What is the sense of a proper name?
III.
Lecture: Russell’s “On Denoting”
A.
Background
Notions: Use/Mention Distinction, Meaning, Proposition, Denoting
B.
The
First Section: The Theory of Descriptions
C.
Second
Section: Meinong and Frege Criticisms
D.
Third
Section (I): Three Semantic Puzzles
IV.
Discussion:
How would Frege solve the three semantic puzzles?
V.
Next
Time
A.
Topic:
Russell’s Argument for his Theory of Descriptions
B.
Reading: Russell, “On Denoting”
C.
Reading Questions:
1.
How
would Russell analyze the sentence, “The present king of France is bald”?
2.
What
does Russell think is wrong with Meinong’s and Frege’s views of
denotation? What is the key difference
between these views on the one hand and Russell’s on the other?
3.
Describe
the three semantic puzzles that Russell thinks can be used to test a semantic
theory.
4.
What
are Russell’s solutions to the three puzzles?