Chapter Five. The Informational Value of Names
Published Online: 13 AUG 2010
DOI: 10.1002/9781444325362.ch5
Copyright © 2010 Frank Jackson
Book Title
Language, Names, and Information
Additional Information
How to Cite
Jackson, F. (2010) The Informational Value of Names, in Language, Names, and Information, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. doi: 10.1002/9781444325362.ch5
Publication History
- Published Online: 13 AUG 2010
- Published Print: 6 AUG 2010
ISBN Information
Print ISBN: 9781405161589
Online ISBN: 9781444325362
- Summary
- Chapter
Keywords:
- informational value of names;
- how names deliver information - shared ir-content for sentences containing a given name;
- When truth at a world depends - on more than how that world is;
- “Some things are square” - its truth at a world, depending on how that world is;
- ir-content of a sentence, set of worlds - whose actuality is consistent with truth of sentence;
- functions from worlds to truth or falsity;
- key idea diagram - functioning from worlds to truth values, centered worlds to truth values;
- “There is water nearby” and “Gödel lived in Princeton” - what people mean about how things are when they use “water” and “Gödel”;
- evidential role of intuitions - about possible cases;
- issue about narrow content - set of centered worlds, actuality consistent with truth of “Water is F”
Summary
This chapter contains sections titled:
Where we are
When truth at a world depends on more than how that world is
A diagram to give the key idea
A language where truth at a world is, by stipulation, a function of which world is actual
On looking for examples of two–dimensional sentences in the English of the folk
How should we approach questions like, How do we use the word “water”? and, How do we use the word “Gödel”?
More on the evidential role of intuitions about possible cases
What information do we impart with the word “water”–first pass
With enemies like these, who needs friends?16
What information do we impart with the word “water”–second pass
The issue about narrow content18
Proper names and information (I)
Proper names and information (II)
Coda