A Theory of Names from the Perspective of Referring Mode and Linguistic Holism

Abstract

There are two main contrasting theories of names that address the relationship between names and referents: the descriptive theory and the direct reference theory. The former posits that names refer to objects through associated senses or characteristic descriptions, while the latter maintains that names function as labels and directly refer to objects without relying on senses or characteristic descriptions. Both theories initially focus on proper names and subsequently extend their principles to common names. The primary difference between the two lies in referring modes. However, debates between their proponents often revolve around whether proper and common names carry senses, which diverges from the core issue. From the perspective of referring modes, names can be classified as either direct or indirect. Every language has its own unique lexical system that includes primitive names and defined names, which correspond respectively to direct names and indirect names. The direct reference theory is a theory of names associated with direct names, while the descriptive theory is one related to indirect names. The debate over whether proper or common names contain senses is misleading. While this issue has historical roots, the modern theory of names should strive to move beyond these historical limitations.

Keywords

descriptive theory / direct reference theory / referring mode / primitive name / defined name

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Higher Education Press