Frege argued that a predicate was a functional expression and the reference of it a concept, which as a predicative function had one or more empty places and was thus incomplete. Frege＇s view gives rise to what has b...Frege argued that a predicate was a functional expression and the reference of it a concept, which as a predicative function had one or more empty places and was thus incomplete. Frege＇s view gives rise to what has been known as the paradox of the concept ＂horse.＂ In order to resolve this paradox, I argue for an opposite view which retains the point that a predicate is a function, i.e. that a predicative function is complete in a sense. Specifically speaking, a predicate performing the function of a predicate has at least one empty place and has no reference, while a predicate performing the function of a subject does not have any empty place but does have a reference. Frege not only regarded a concept with one or more empty places as the reference of a predicate but also took a set of objects without any empty place to be the extension of a concept with one or more empty places. Thus, it presents a complex relationship between the reference of a predicate and its corresponding extension, leading to disharmony in his theory. I argue that this is because there is a major defect in Frege＇s theory of meaning, namely the neglect of common names. What he called extensions of concepts are actually extensions of common names, and the references of predicates and the extensions of common names have a substantial difference despite being closely related.展开更多
Based on a review of the theories on meaning in the field of philosophy, semantics and pragmatics, this paper suggests that language meaning, subject to constant change in real communication,is a concept different fro...Based on a review of the theories on meaning in the field of philosophy, semantics and pragmatics, this paper suggests that language meaning, subject to constant change in real communication,is a concept different from relatively static sense and reference which are mutual inter-dependent to each other. Sense and reference constitute the personal images of any given words.Three sources of meaning are elaborated: the dictionary sense, the personal images of any given words, and the dynamic context.A combination of traditional semantic meaning and dynamic pragmatic meaning analysis is suggested through examining the meaning derivation process in the cases of the use of referring expressions in definite, indefinite descriptions, and incomplete sentences.展开更多
文摘Frege argued that a predicate was a functional expression and the reference of it a concept, which as a predicative function had one or more empty places and was thus incomplete. Frege＇s view gives rise to what has been known as the paradox of the concept ＂horse.＂ In order to resolve this paradox, I argue for an opposite view which retains the point that a predicate is a function, i.e. that a predicative function is complete in a sense. Specifically speaking, a predicate performing the function of a predicate has at least one empty place and has no reference, while a predicate performing the function of a subject does not have any empty place but does have a reference. Frege not only regarded a concept with one or more empty places as the reference of a predicate but also took a set of objects without any empty place to be the extension of a concept with one or more empty places. Thus, it presents a complex relationship between the reference of a predicate and its corresponding extension, leading to disharmony in his theory. I argue that this is because there is a major defect in Frege＇s theory of meaning, namely the neglect of common names. What he called extensions of concepts are actually extensions of common names, and the references of predicates and the extensions of common names have a substantial difference despite being closely related.
文摘Based on a review of the theories on meaning in the field of philosophy, semantics and pragmatics, this paper suggests that language meaning, subject to constant change in real communication,is a concept different from relatively static sense and reference which are mutual inter-dependent to each other. Sense and reference constitute the personal images of any given words.Three sources of meaning are elaborated: the dictionary sense, the personal images of any given words, and the dynamic context.A combination of traditional semantic meaning and dynamic pragmatic meaning analysis is suggested through examining the meaning derivation process in the cases of the use of referring expressions in definite, indefinite descriptions, and incomplete sentences.
