Definite description

In logic, a definite description is a term of the form 'the ...'. It is used to describe something. This is more difficult than it first appears, because:

In logic, a definite description is a term of the form 'the ...'. It is used to describe something. This is more difficult than it first appears, because:

  • The thing or person talked about must exist.
  • There must be exactly one such person or thing.

Unfortunately, language allows to construct sentences, where the thing or person talked about is not unique, or it doesn't exist

Definite descriptions are called 'empty', if they violate one of the conditions above: Bertrand Russell used the sentence "The present king of France is bald.". When Russel wrote this, in the early 20th century, France was a republic, and had no king.

Other famous mathematicians who wrote about it include Gottlob Frege, and Peter Strawson.

Other websites

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.