Strawson’s Theory Of Reference

It is the collision of new and old theories that sparkles wisdom.It is through his argument with Russell’s theory of descriptions that Mr.Strawson demonstrates his philosophical wisdom.He carries out his research on metaphysics through linguistic analysis,converts the anti-metaphysical trend of analytic philosophy,and is honored the most brilliant analytic mind of our times.Strawson’s theory of reference,constitutes not only the primary part of his own philosophy but also the critical component of the analytic study for philosophy of language and philosophy of logic.The theory of reference has made great contribution to the development of philosophy in the 20^th century.It involves ontology,epistemology,linguistics and even philosophy of mind and captures the heart of so many philosophers.In the evolution of the theory of reference,Strawson plays the role of a successor,a critic,and more of an impeller.In his philosophical argument with Russell,Strawson introduces the concept of pragmatics;in his philosophical argument with Quine,Strawson presents the concept of identification.Moreover,his discussion of the external elements impacting reference including context,the intention of the speaker and that of the audience,etc.Promotes the development of the cognitive research of philosophy and philosophy of mind.Strawson reaffirms metaphysics so as to reveal the conceptual scheme underneath our ordinary language and the relationship between this conceptual scheme and the world structure based on the study of ordinary language.Strawson is committed to uncovering the general and structural features of our conceptual scheme,since it is this conceptual scheme that constitutes the base of our thinking of particular objects and matters.The reaffirming of metaphysics adds charm to the special style of Strawson’s theory of reference.From the perspective of identification,Strawson carries out his central study of metaphysics on particulars.This doctoral dissertation starts with the background of Strawson’s theory of reference,Russell’s theory of descriptions,and expounds Strawson’s idea of the relation between meaning and reference;discusses Strawson’s understanding of the category and nature of singular terms through the conversation between Strawson and Quine;and reveals the meaning of the words used to express particulars and universals and the referent of these expressions via Strawson’s distinction between particulars and universals in statements;and elaborates Strawson’s views on the relation between reference and truth through his analysis of the radical failure of identifying.There are altogether three chapters in the body part of this dissertation.Chapter Ⅰ deals with the philosophical argument between Strawson and Russell.In his On Referring,Strawson questions Russell’s theory of descriptions.Based on his analysis of the concepts and sentences of ordinary language,Strawson negates Russell’s theory of descriptions.Their argument involves the most fundamental and complicated problem,that is,how to study language and is of deep importance to the future development of philosophy of language.According to Strawson,words able to identify cannot be restricted to logically proper names,and the feature of descriptions is to refer to some unique object.Strawson opposes to Russell’s idea that meaning equals to reference and raises the concept of pragmatics,suggesting that we are to distinguish among a sentence,a use of a sentence and an utterance of a sentence so as to negate the logic of truth or falsity.In doing so,Strawson proposes the third truth value condition of a sentence,i.e.that of neither truth nor falsity.The philosophical argument between Strawson and Russell over descriptions and the relation between meaning and reference throws light on other philosophers’study in relevant fields and promotes the multi-dimensional development of linguistics and analytic philosophy.Chapter Ⅱ expounds Strawson’s philosophical view on singular terms through his interaction with Quine.In Singular Terms,Ontology and Identity（1956）and Singular Terms and Predication（1961）,Strawson analyses and questions Quine’s assertion that singular terms are redundant and therefore can be dismissed.Strawson modifies the category of singular terms and advocates that singular terms are those used to identify a particular item in a particular use.Strawson holds that a language will not admit of any other means of reference to particulars if it does not admit the use of singular terms to refer to particulars.Thus,the ideal language without singular terms proposed by Quine fails to exist.Strawson points out the nature of singular terms lies in identifying reference.With the stress of the significance of identification to the theory of reference,Strawson deepens his theory of reference.Chapter Ⅲ is concerned with the concept of particular,a core problem of Strawson’s descriptive metaphysics and his perception of truth.In Individuals,Strawson presents his idea of subject and predicate.He advocates that the study on the relation between language and reality demands of the excess of the distinction between subject and predicate and proposes the grammatical criterion and the category criterion.According to the grammatical criterion,subject and predicate both serve as the means to introduce a particular into a sentence and they differ in their styles of introduction:a subject does not introduce a particular in any particular style while a predicate does it in an assertive or propositional style.According to the category criterion,a particular can only serve as the subject in a statement while a universal may serve both as the subject and the predicate.Strawson,through the two criteria,aims to show that the category criterion plays a major role in the identification of a particular and works to introduce the particular into a statement and a proposition.The introduction of a particular into a proposition is to uniquely identify the particular referred to by the subject of a statement.In reality,it is on this basis that the speaker and the hearer can arrive at an understanding.Through his discussion of the identification and the re-identification of particulars and basic particulars,Strawson intends to reveal to us our conceptual scheme.Through his exposition of subjects and predicates,Strawson aims to illustrate to us the core position particulars occupy in individual in terms of logic.Through his distinction of particulars and universals,Strawson attempts to present the close association between the idea of individual and that of existence.In Identifying Reference and Truth Values,Strawson reveals his perception of the relation between reference and truth.According to him,the premise for us to declare that an assertion with truth values has been made is that there does exist such a thing that we use the words to refer to.From the perspective of the functions of identifying reference,Strawson contrasts the truth-value gap theory and the falsity theory,and adjusts the truth-value gap theory so as to find a better alternative to deal with the controversy concerning the truth values of a statement.In the case of radical reference failure,Strawson carries out his analysis on the basis of the number of referring expressions in a statement.For those with two referring expressions,the absorption of the guilty referring expression into a predicate-term will result in the falsity of the statement,while the absorption of it into the subject-term will lead to a statement with no truth values.For those with one referring expression,the case is considered in view of the involvement of the item meant to be referred to for the clarification of the subject.If no item is involved,the truth-value gap theory more applies to the description of the reference failure,and otherwise what is affected is no more than the subject-related information but not the subject of the statement,thus we can ascribe the reference failure to incorrect subject information.Strawson’s theory of reference re-affirms metaphysics.He initiates his study with the use of ordinary language,and tries to reveal to us the object referred to by an expression of a particular so as to pursue the exploration of being in metaphysics.Through the analysis of the function of a referring expression in a statement,Strawson tries to uncover the meaning and the referent of the expression.His philosophical analysis focuses on external objects and things existing instead of restricting itself to the language itself,thus broadening the vision of analytic philosophy.