Complex Predicates and Conversion Principles

• Published in: Philosophical studies Vol. 87; no. 1; pp. 1 - 32
• Main Author: Swoyer, Chris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Kluwer Academic Publishers 01.07.1997; Sringer; University of Minnesota Press; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Criminal conversion; Definite descriptions; Free logic; Hair; Hijacking; Linguistic ambiguity; Logic; Modality; Onomastics; Philosophical logics. Philosophy of language; Philosophy; Predicate; Predicates; Prefixes; Principles; Reference (Semantic); Semantics; Sentence structure; Singular terms; State espionage; Truth; Values; Designator; Moral (doctrine); Language; Modal Logic; Vague; Indetermination; Singular Term; Identity; Principle; Conversion; Complex; Predicate
• ISSN: 0031-8116; 1573-0883
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1017901713756

[...]it comes to the same thing whether we predicate the complex predicate [[n15]x[']] of a singular term t or instead substitute t for the variable in ['] that is bound by the [n15]-prefix. Since an atomic sentence is true only if all of its singular terms in subject position denote, completeness requires a rule that takes us from anCOMPLEX PREDICATES AND CONVERSION PRINCIPLES 7atomic sentence Ft1 ::: tn to (9x)(x = t1) & ::: & (9x)(x = tn). [...]O(S([n7b]xSx)) is false, and reduction fails.I have used definite descriptions, but the same points could be made with proper names or other singular terms (e.g., we could use proper names whose references are fixed with vague descriptions like the shortest bald spy). [...]a sufficient condition for exportation is that the singular term be a determinate designator, i.e., that there not be any indeterminacy in what it refers to (in our above example Boris is determinate but the shortest spy is not).Some sentences have a definite truth value even when one or more of the terms in them are vague or indeterminate.