tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31003419.post528720552728633552..comments2023-11-02T07:50:38.614-05:00Comments on Lemmings: Strawsonian Definite DescriptionsBrit Brogaardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944929071368873218noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31003419.post-26941705125336637742007-07-27T12:02:00.000-05:002007-07-27T12:02:00.000-05:00Hi Timmo,The vast majority of Millians do not acce...Hi Timmo,<BR/>The vast majority of Millians do not accept the Strawsonian position. But it is not because they cannot make sense of singular propositions. There are two reasons why the "naive" version of the Strawsonian position is implausible. (i) if descriptions contributed objects to propositions, then there would be a missing link between logical form and interpretation, and (ii) propositions which are clearly necessary would be contingent. 'Necessarily, the number of planets is nine', for example, would be true on both its wide-scope and its narrow-scope reading (assuming 'Nec' is an operator on propositions).Brit Brogaardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17944929071368873218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31003419.post-25792034932882284102007-07-27T07:19:00.000-05:002007-07-27T07:19:00.000-05:00The Strawsonian view is considered implausible by ...<I>The Strawsonian view is considered implausible by Millians because Millians naturally assume that if definite descriptions refer, then they contribute an individual to truth-conditions. So, 'the president' would contribute Bush to truth-conditions, which is quite implausible.</I><BR/><BR/>Why should a "Millian" think that? For a "Millian", or direct reference theorist, the name 'Bush' contributes Bush himself, the man, to the proposition expressed by 'Bush is not cute' -- Bush is a constituent of the proposition <I>Bush is not cute</I>. I do not see, so far, why a "Millian" should think there is anything problematic about 'the president' contributing Bush to a proposition -- the proper name 'Bush' does that already.Timmohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04095596090336782085noreply@blogger.com