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    Carmelics

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    Made withinDC&Austin
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    Home/Original/inverse
    See Original
    Inverse View

    It is not the case that Demonstrative reference requires a backing description to fix which object is demonstrated, as Searle argues in 'Intentionality' (1983).

    ?Set your confidence on the premises below to see your aggregate.

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.Direct reference theories (Kripke, Kaplan) show demonstratives can pick out objects without prior descriptive identification.
      ?

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    • 2.Infants and animals use demonstrative-like pointing without possessing explicit backing descriptions about the object.
      ?

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    • 3.Descriptions can be false or absent while demonstration still succeeds, suggesting descriptions aren't necessary for reference.
      ?

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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.Demonstratives like 'this' and 'that' require individuating criteria to distinguish their referents from other nearby objects.
      ?

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    • 2.Without descriptive content fixing the relevant object, demonstrations would fail to secure determinate reference in ambiguous contexts.
      ?

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    • 3.Searle's internalist account explains how speaker intentions connect demonstrative utterances to world via conceptual content.
      ?

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