- What is the Problem of Meaning?
- Frege's Theory of Meaning
- Denotation versus Connotation
- Where is the Meaning?
What is the Problem of Meaning?
The problem of meaning is one of the oldest problems in philosophy; it is so central an issue that an important branch of philosophy---philosophy of language---focuses on it.
Plato, Aristotle, and the Referential Theory
- Plato (427-347 BC) believed that linguistic expressions, shorter than a sentence, functioned like proper names.
- Similarly, Aristotle (384-322 BC) believed that the meaning of a word is to be found in what the word refers to---for one to know the meaning of a word, another must point out in the physical world what the word refers to. This pointing gesture is now called ostensive definition and the theory of meaning behind it is the referential theory of meaning.
Frege's Theory of Meaning
Gottlob Frege (1848-1925) in his paper Sense and Reference pointed out a problem in the referential theory.
- "Every proper name expresses its sense, and designates its referent."
Denotation versus Connotation
Where is the Meaning?
Mill's Distinction
- Proper (singular) names denote individuals called by them, but do not connote any attribute
- General names denote a subject and connote attributes common to all that the name applies
Russell's Belief
- Unlike Mill, Russell believed that meaning resides in the denotation, not in the connotation