Week 6 Seminar Paper

Lanugage

Frege on Sense and Reference

Gottlob Frege was a German logician, mathematician and philosopher who played a crucial role in the emergence of logic and analytic philosophy. Frege's logical works were revolutionary, and are often taken to represent the fundamental break between contemporary approaches and the older,Aristotelian tradition. Frege paper ‘Sense and Reference’ written in 1892 with explains the difference between the two kinds of significations. It is a theory of the philosophy of language of the mind. Essentially, the theory of sense points that "sense" and "reference" are two different and separate aspects of a term's meaning, and that both of these are semantic necessities for a statement have significance. For example the names "Dr. Seuss" and "Theodore Geisel" refer to the same person, but each name expresses a different sense. Thus the "a=a" and "a=b" substitution conundrum is explained. Since "a" has a different sense from "b," the sense of the entire expression "a=a" is different from the sense of the expression "a=b." When this idea is taken one step further, you can see how the usage of "a" for "b" in a propositional attitude statement like "John believes that Theodore Geisel wrote 'The Cat in the Hat'" can result in an untrue statement; in this example, "Theodore Geisel" and "Dr. Seuss" have different references as well as senses, as "Theodore Geisel" refers to a man who could be said to not have written any books. This in a way answers the question is there relation between objects, or between names or signs of objects. Frege applies the distinction between sense and reference to sentences of all kind. In a way I can agree with Freges theory as creating logics out of it. Seeing the difference between sense and references how a little extra sign such as ‘Dr’ can change the view of the whole image.

The Pragmatists on Language and Truth

Charles S. Peirce was a pragmatist who created theory and logic based on language which was embedded in a general theory of signs. Peirce called that semiotics as his idea was that sign stands for an object which be being understood or interpreted can it itself be seen as further sign. The semiotic function of signs had a relation between representamen, object and interpretant. Peirce put signs into three classes and related to real life examples. Natural sign of a cloud relates to natural sign of rain. The next one is iconic signs which signify by resembling their object. An example of that are naturalistic paintings, sculptures and also maps. The third and last one is the Iconic sign which was two features. First one is a sign could share the same its object and some features that each could have in common but if the other did not exist. Second one symbols which words are important such as uniforms and traffic signals. Peirce and James also looked at the meaning of truth. They relate truth to pragmatism and state that it is not so inconsistent with realism. Truth and Reality are not the same as each but they can relate as truth is something thought or said about reality. In this case I can agree on his classes as Natural signs surround our normal day life activity or living. For example seeing a ‘Stop’ on the road not only means you should stop literally but also is a warning if you don’t you put yourself and others in danger. Peirce point on iconic signs I can agree with it as certain signs represent something they have a deeper meaning to them.

Language Games and Private Language

Wittgenstein stated he had an idea that philosophy was an activity, not a theory and that philosophical pronouncements were not propositions in the same sense as statements of everyday language. He believed that ordinary language embedded that social activities and structures that he called ‘language-games’. Wittgenstein said that the significance to sound and marks on paper that make up language is by themselves the symbols are inert and dead. They become alive by being meant by speakers and writers to be understood by readers and hearers. Wittgenstein idea or theory relate to society as language can be embedded by a culture. Different words or signs can adopt different meanings which can lead to a change of a language. In a way this can be a game as games are not based on reality. Language is made up and given life by the use of it.

All this theories or ideas no matter if they are right or wrong they have helped shape our language or identity. What they have said or stated has been taken into a consideration and taken into explaining what language is and creating a part of us and how important it is.