Names, Reference, and Correctness in Plato's CratylusThe Cratylus unfolds as a confrontation between competing theses on the question of the correctness of names. Since Plato levels criticism against both theses, we are led to wonder whether Plato himself takes a position on the main issue. Dr. Palmer argues that we can discern in the Cratylus a positive statement of Plato's own views. Plato, unlike many contemporary theorists who follow Frege, does not presuppose that intensional entities such as concepts or meanings mediate the relation between a name and its nominatum. Plato believes that reality divides into discrete, natural units and that names are established, in part, to mark these non-conventional units. Plato holds (or at least assumes) that a name is correct if it successfully (and directly) picks out a real unit or entity, and if it aptly describes its nominatum. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION TO ISSUES | 1 |
SUPERFICIAL CONVENTIONALISM AND NAME FORMATION | 27 |
EXTREME CONVENTIONALISM | 43 |
Copyright | |
10 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
analogy appears argued argument Aristotle Aristotle's beautiful believe called Cambridge chapter claim concept configuration correct name correctness of names Crat Cratilo Craty descriptive content determinate ousia dialectician dialogue discussion distinction Edited entails entities etymology Euthyphro evidence expression false Fine's Forms G.E.L. Owen Greek text greeting Gregory Vlastos Heraclitean Heraclitus Hermo Hermogenes and Cratylus imitation imply inclusive disjunction intensional interpretation issue kind Kirk Kirk's Kratylos language lawgiver lawgiver/namemaker linguistic Lorenz and Mittelstrass meaning Metaphysics mimetic/onomatopoeic name Hermogenes name's namemaker namemaker's natural correctness objects onomatopoeia onomatopoeic ontology ousia passage perceived perception Phaedo Philology philosophical phonetic Phronesis Plato Plato's Cratylus Plato's position platonischen predicated Protagoras Protagorean question R.E. Allen real natures refer seems shuttle signify Socrates and Cratylus speak superficial conventionalism task term Theaetetus theory theory of Forms thing named Timaeus tion translation true truth tupos understood units of reality Vlastos καὶ