180197 VO-L Singular Terms and Proper Names (2024W)

Objectives: This course deals with a problem area in contemporary philosophy of language that gives students insight into the generally important topic of singular terms; on the basis of the special problem of empty singular expressions, students will gain an understanding of how problems in philosophy of language play into other areas of philosophy.

Content: There are various linguistic ways of designating particulars, such as objects, living beings or events. For some we have proper names ("Alexander Van der Bellen"), for others we use generic or sortal names, which we complement in order to pick out an individual thing ("my computer", "your cat", "yesterday's performance"). But we can also refer to particulars by relations ("my mother", "the left window", "the first day in 2023").

Depending on the semantic theory a philosopher advocates, different explanations are needed as to how these designations stand for the corresponding thing. We will look at the most important theories and discuss how they each explain what we do when we refer to a thing.

Then we will turn to a tricky problem: so-called "empty" singular terms, i.e. names or other denotations for which there is no referent. Examples are: Santa Claus, Pegasus or the present King of France. For some of the semantic theories we discussed in the first part of the LV, it is difficult to explain what these terms actually denote. We will look at what is so complicated about it, exactly what difficulties arise for each theory, and how they deal with it.

Method: Interactive lecture: Discussion of a problem, followed by presentation of theories by the lecturer, discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the theories.
There will be required reading which students are expected to have done ahead of each lecture; further reading will also be recommended for each topic. In the lecture, the respective issue(s) will be discussed. We will then look at the most important philosophical views on them and talk about the respective required reading.