Tutorial # 9. Russell. On Denoting. The Problem

The Puzzles.

"How can I think the thing which is not?"
(Plato)

* A denoting phrase may or may not denote an actual object.
In 1905
"The present King of England" denoted a certain man.
"The present King of France" denoted nothing at all.
Pegasus is a winged horse
Unicorns don’t exist

What, if anything, am I talking about when I talk about Zeus, unicorns, the Fountain of Youth, etc?

If I’m not talking about anything, how can my talk be meaningful?
If I’m not talking about anything, how can my talk be true or false?


*A second problem
Some denoting phrases denote ambiguously.

In “I saw a man,” “a man” denotes an “ambiguous” (or undetermined) man.

A good theory of denoting will accommodate all these kinds of cases.

Russell's Solution!
Analyze ordinary talk to reveal its true logical form beneath the surface
--> Denoting expressions are not names
A proper analysis of sentences in which denoting expressions occur solves our problems!