Success in referential communication
In verbal communication we constantly use singular terms with the intention to refer to certain objects we have in mind. The central question that I will be concerned with in my thesis concerns the conditions under which such referring acts are successful. That is, what must be the case such that a hearer can be credited with understanding the referential use of a singular term by some speaker? Like other writers I locate the interest in this question in the following tension that arises with regard to it: on the one hand it seems that the object referred to in a referring act should be constitutive for communicative success, that is agents will succeed in this form of communication if and only if their underlying thoughts refer to the same object in the world. But on the other hand it seems that communicative success in referring acts cannot be <I>object-dependent</I> in such a way, as examples similar to Frege's Hesperus-Phosporus one or certain 'empty' cases like children's uses of the name 'Santa Claus' show. The aim of my thesis is to come up with a satisfying account of success in referring acts which resolves this tension. In this regard various traditional and recent accounts will be discussed, in
Paul, Matthias
Success in referential communication. In verbal communication we constantly use singular terms with the intention to refer to certain objects we have in mind. The central question that I will be concerned with in my thesis concerns the conditions under which such referring acts are successful. That is, what must be the case such that a hearer can be credited with understanding the referential use of a singular term by some speaker? Like other writers I locate the interest in this question in the following tension that arises with regard to it: on the one hand it seems that the object referred to in a referring act should be constitutive for communicative success, that is agents will succeed in this form of communication if and only if their underlying thoughts refer to the same object in the world. But on the other hand it seems that communicative success in referring acts cannot be <I>object-dependent</I> in such a way, as examples similar to Frege's Hesperus-Phosporus one or certain 'empty' cases like children's uses of the name 'Santa Claus' show. The aim of my thesis is to come up with a satisfying account of success in referring acts which resolves this tension. In this regard various traditional and recent accounts will be discussed, in
success referential communication verbal_communication constantly use singular term intention refer certain object mind central_question concern concern_condition refer act successful must case hearer credit referential use singular term speaker like writer locate interest question follow tension arise regard one_hand seem object refer refer act constitutive communicative success agent succeed form communication underlie thought refer object world hand seem communicative success refer act object dependent way examples similar frege certain empty case like child name show aim come satisfy account success refer act resolve_tension regard various traditional recent account discuss