Tutorial #10. Kripke on Names. Rigid Designators

Rigid Designator
A rigid designator designates (picks out, denotes, refers to) the same thing in all possible worlds in which that thing exists and does not designate anything else in those possible worlds in which that thing does not exist.

--> Kripke: Ordinary proper names are rigid designators!

NOTE
In saying that 'Saul Kripke' is a rigid designator we mean that the name as we use it in our actual world language refers to the same individual at all possible worlds--including worlds in which he has a different name.
Kripke couldn’t be Ronaldo even though he could have been named 'Ronaldo.'

Kripke vs. Russell
- Ordinary proper names are NOT disguised descriptions for Kripke.
- Ordinary proper names are mere tags (they don’t have senses or convey descriptions).
- We confer names on objects by tagging (baptizing, dubbing) or via descriptions that fix reference.

--> Names are passed down in the linguistic community through a causal chain going back to the tagging (the "baptism").