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    Indexicality does not imply non-rigidity — Carmelics
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    Perspectives
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    Home/Philosophy of Language
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    Connected to 2 discussions

    Supports→Even if Fitch's conjunction is an indexical expression, there is no reason to think it is non-rigid
    Challenges→Kvanvig's argument conflates non-rigidity with indexicality

    Indexicality does not imply non-rigidity

    Modality & PossibilityPhilosophy of Language
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    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.The indexical expression 'I', when uttered in a fixed context, continues to refer to the same individual when evaluated at counterfactual circumstances
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    • 2.An expression that rigidly designates its referent from a fixed context across all circumstances of evaluation is rigid, even if it would refer to a different individual were it uttered in a different context
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    • 3.'I am tired', uttered in a fixed context, rigidly designates the speaker of that context even though 'I' is an indexical
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Kaplan's distinction between character and content shows that rigidity is a property of content, but indexicals are individuated by their context-sensitive character.
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    • 2.An expression whose very semantic rule encodes context-sensitivity is non-rigid at the level that matters for semantic competence, even if its content is rigid at a world.
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    • 3.Conflating rigidity of content with rigidity of the expression itself smuggles in a level-confusion that undermines the original claim's scope.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Dummett and Evans argued that the cognitive significance of an expression is partly constituted by its mode of presentation, not merely its extensional behavior across worlds.
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    • 2.Indexicals like 'I' and 'now' carry essentially context-dependent modes of presentation that make their reference systematically shift with context, which is the hallmark of non-rigidity in any epistemically robust sense.
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    • 3.A notion of rigidity that abstracts away from mode of presentation is too coarse-grained to capture the semantic phenomena that distinguish indexicals from ordinary proper names.
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    Topics

    Philosophy of LanguageModality & Possibility

    Connections

    2 topics

    No other argument is better1 linkedTruth & Knowledge1 linked

    Related

    'I am tired', uttered in a fixed context, rigidly designates the speaker of that...A non-rigid expression varies its reference from a fixed context across circumst...A notion of rigidity that abstracts away from mode of presentation is too coarse...An expression that rigidly designates its referent from a fixed context across a...
    +10 moreShow less
    An expression whose very semantic rule encodes context-sensitivity is non-rigid ...Conflating rigidity of content with rigidity of the expression itself smuggles i...

    Similar

    Kvanvig's argument fails to establish that Fitch's conjunction is non-...86%No other argument has been given for the non-rigidity of Fitch's conju...86%Kvanvig's argument conflates non-rigidity with indexicality85%Even if Fitch's conjunction is an indexical expression, there is no re...83%

    Source

    AI-extracted
    SEP: fitch-paradox
    View source passageHide passage
    Williamson (2000b) defends Fitch’s reasoning against Kvanvig’s charge. He suggests that Kvanvig has no grounds for thinking that Fitch’s conjunction \(p \wedge \neg \exists x\exists t(Kxpt)\) does not designate rigidly. The reason Williamson gives is this. An expression is non-rigid if, when uttered in a fixed context, it varies its reference with the circumstances under which it is evaluated. But Kvanvig gives no convincing reason for thinking that Fitch’s conjunction, as uttered in a fixed con

    Details

    Type
    premise
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit
    Dummett and Evans argued that the cognitive significance of an expression is par...
    Even if Fitch's conjunction is an indexical expression, there is no reason to th...
    Indexicals like 'I' and 'now' carry essentially context-dependent modes of prese...
    Kaplan's distinction between character and content shows that rigidity is a prop...
    Kvanvig's argument at most establishes that Fitch's conjunction is indexical, no...
    Kvanvig's argument conflates non-rigidity with indexicality
    Kvanvig's argument that a quantified sentence, when uttered at different worlds,...
    The indexical expression 'I', when uttered in a fixed context, continues to refe...