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1905

Russell — What an empty description contributes

If there is no person to refer to, is the sentence meaningless, or can we analyze a structure under which it is false?

Bertrand RussellOn Denoting

Evidence-backed account

“On Denoting” appeared in 1905 in Mind, volume XIV, issue 4, pages 479–493.

Open evidence

This is an evidence-linked editorial paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

  • On Denoting

    Bertrand Russell · 1905 · Mind XIV(4), pages 479–493; DOI 10.1093/mind/XIV.4.479

    Locator: Article metadata, pages 479–493

    Open source

Russell distinguishes denoting phrases that may fail to denote anything despite their descriptive form.

Open evidence

This is an evidence-linked editorial paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

  • On Denoting

    Bertrand Russell · 1905 · Institutional full text hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong

    Locator: Page 479

    Open source

A sentence of the form the F is G is analyzed in terms of existence, uniqueness, and predication at the sentence level.

Open evidence

This is an evidence-linked editorial paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

  • On Denoting

    Bertrand Russell · 1905 · Institutional full text hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong

    Locator: Pages 480–482 and 488–490

    Open source

  • Descriptions

    Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

    Locator: Section 2

    Open source

Once the analysis is expanded, a definite description does not remain a single sentence constituent like a proper name but contributes within a quantified structure.

Open evidence

This is an evidence-linked editorial paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

  • On Denoting

    Bertrand Russell · 1905 · Institutional full text hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong

    Locator: Pages 488–490

    Open source

  • Descriptions

    Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

    Locator: Sections 2–3

    Open source

The absence of an object satisfying a description does not by itself make the whole sentence meaningless; under the analysis it may be false.

Open evidence

This is an evidence-linked editorial paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

  • On Denoting

    Bertrand Russell · 1905 · Institutional full text hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong

    Locator: Pages 479 and 484–490

    Open source

Different scopes of negation distinguish the F is not G from the denial that there is a unique F that is G.

Open evidence

This is an evidence-linked editorial paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

  • On Denoting

    Bertrand Russell · 1905 · Institutional full text hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong

    Locator: Pages 489–490

    Open source

  • Descriptions

    Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

    Locator: Section 3.1

    Open source

Russell’s truth-conditional analysis was followed by important objections and alternatives concerning existence, uniqueness, and context, including those associated with Strawson.

Open evidence

This is an evidence-linked editorial paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

  • Descriptions

    Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

    Locator: Section 5

    Open source
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