Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Mahdi Hafezi ¹
• Fereshteh Nabati ²

¹ Master's Student in Philosophy, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

² Associate Professor of Philosophy, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

In this article, we will explain and examine Saul Kripke's views on the problem of empty names, by focuing on his book Naming and Necessity. The first and more detailed section of the article discusses Kripke's ideas in depth. He begins by addressing the problems of empty names, then presents and critiques the responses available at the time. In the next step, by distinguishing between two domains (levels) of language, he attempts to offer a solution to account for the rational use of empty names in each domain. In the developed domain, and for in-the-story uses, he uses the sentence operator “in the story,” and for outside-the-story uses, he first introduces a kind of ontology for fictional entities and then claims that these names refer to these abstract, real entities. In the undeveloped domain, in the stage of introducing these names in natural language, he appeals to a theory that is named the Pretense Theory. Finally, we encounter the suggestion to expand the use of the term "falsehood" when confronting the issue of truth value for propositions containing empty names. The second part of the article examines Kripke's views and critical responses from contemporary philosophers on his ideas.

Keywords

• Kripke
• Reference and Existence
• empty names
• fictional names
• negative existential proposition

Main Subjects

• philosophy