Philosophy Dictionary of ArgumentsHome | |||
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Singular Terms, philosophy: singular terms are linguistic expressions for individual objects or situations or totals, which can be determined as something individual. See also general terms, relative terms, abstract terms, reference._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
Author | Concept | Summary/Quotes | Sources |
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Robert Brandom on Singular Terms - Dictionary of Arguments
I 407 Singular Term/Predicate/Subsentential Expressions/Brandom: this is about objective referencing (reference), not about believed propositions - non-propositional, conceptual contents. >Reference. I 527ff Singular Terms - substitution inferences are always symmetrical: equivalence classes. >Substitution, >Equivalence classes. Predicate substitution inferences may be asymmetric: Families (reflexive, transitive). I 512f Singular Term/Frege: the concept particular cannot be explained independently from the concept singular term. Brandom: not clear what singular terms are, cannot be explained by successful reference. Quine: singular terms include reference, error is possible. Brandom: not everything can be recognized as a singular term: E.g. "√2", "natural satellite of the Earth" may be more than one thing. Problem: if omniscience of the speaker should be required. I 517 Because sentences are fundamental, it is not clear why there should be any subsentential expressions at all. - They cannot have a semantic content in the same respectas sentences. - Subsentential expressions are necessary for the formation of potentially infinite number of sentences. >Subsententials. I 528 Singular Term/Brandom: its introduction does not only require application criteria but also identity criteria (for substitutability). I 533 Singular Term/Brandom: are those expressions which play a dual syntactic and semantic substitutional role: 1) SIS: substitution-inferential significance - 2) SSR - substitution-structural role. I 533 Definition singular term/Brandom: an expression that is substituted and whose occurrence is symmetrically inferentially significant - the substitutable (singular term): symmetric - substitution frame (predicates) asymmetrical. I 535 Inversion: Substitutions are not always right: the conclusions are often inferentially weaker than the premises - from "something is a dog" follows "it is a mammal", but not vice versa - singular term: exists, because expressive power of the language would be lost if they were allowed to be asymmetric - Example/(s): if substitution led to weakening of the determination of the object. I 546 Singular term/Brandom: Frames can be regarded as derived singular terms: e.g. "the father of a" may then be substituted into her (FregeVs). Brandom: they are still subsitutable and therefore they differ from sentences. I 548 There are exceptions in the singular terms that behave differently, but they can only exist, because there are normal singular terms. I 561 They play both the syntactic and semantic substitutional role. I 569 Singular Term/Predicate/Brandom: indispensable in all languages with conditionals. - Why are objects needed: for the same reason as singular terms: you need something that means what conditionals mean. --- II 162 Singular Term/Brandom: 1) Obtain - 2) Designate - 3) Name --- Newen I 165 Singular Term/Brandom: Problem: because it does not have reference as a basic concept, it creates 1) equivalenz classes of syntactically identical terms (substitutability) 2) inferential role: helps to isolate the grammatical entities and identify their role as subject, verb , etc. >Inferential role. Subject Term/Singular Term: here the implications are symmetrical and reversible. - E.g. Franklin/Postmaster. Verb: here the reversal is not symmetrical - E.g. goes for a walk/exercises. - At the same time transcendental argument for the splittedness of the world - (predecessor: Strawson)._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Bra I R. Brandom Making it exlicit. Reasoning, Representing, and Discursive Commitment, Cambridge/MA 1994 German Edition: Expressive Vernunft Frankfurt 2000 Bra II R. Brandom Articulating reasons. An Introduction to Inferentialism, Cambridge/MA 2001 German Edition: Begründen und Begreifen Frankfurt 2001 New II Albert Newen Analytische Philosophie zur Einführung Hamburg 2005 Newen I Albert Newen Markus Schrenk Einführung in die Sprachphilosophie Darmstadt 2008 |