Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Principles
- Preface
- 1 Biography
- 2 Function and Argument
- 3 Sense and Reference
- 4 Frege's Begriffsschrift Theory of Identity
- 5 Concept and Object
- 6 Names and Descriptions
- 7 Existence
- 8 Thought, Truth Value, and Assertion
- 9 Indirect Reference
- 10 Through the Quotation Marks
- Appendix A Begriffsschrift in Modern Notation: (1) to (51)
- Appendix B Begriffsschrift in Modern Notation: (52) to (68)
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
4 - Frege's Begriffsschrift Theory of Identity
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 July 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Principles
- Preface
- 1 Biography
- 2 Function and Argument
- 3 Sense and Reference
- 4 Frege's Begriffsschrift Theory of Identity
- 5 Concept and Object
- 6 Names and Descriptions
- 7 Existence
- 8 Thought, Truth Value, and Assertion
- 9 Indirect Reference
- 10 Through the Quotation Marks
- Appendix A Begriffsschrift in Modern Notation: (1) to (51)
- Appendix B Begriffsschrift in Modern Notation: (52) to (68)
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Introduction
Many commentators have been content to accept Frege's (1892c) account of his Begriffsschrift theory of identity, resulting in a somewhat distorted picture of the sense/reference theory. What little criticism there has been of the Begriffsschrift view can be grouped into the following three charges:
It has been alleged that the information contained in an identity statement, when interpreted in the manner of Begriffsschrift, can only be the trivial information that the linguistic community has adopted such-and-such conventions, not the substantial information embodied in a genuine discovery about the world. (This is derived from Frege's (1892c) own criticism of the Begriffsschrift theory.) See Linsky (1967), Kneale and Kneale (1962).
It has been alleged that the Begriffsschrift theory is circular or that it involves a vicious infinite regress. See Russell (1903b), Wiggins (1965), Kneale and Kneale (1962).
It has been alleged that the Begriffsschrift theory is flawed by use/mention confusion. See Church (1951), Furth's introduction to Frege (1893).
Not one of these adequately reflects the subtlety of Frege's Begriffsschrift view. We will examine and evaluate what he says in Begriffsschrift in Section 4.2, and then turn to these three criticisms: we treat the first in Sections 4.3 and 4.4, the second in Section 4.5, and the third in Section 4.6.
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- The Philosophy of Gottlob Frege , pp. 41 - 62Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005