唐奈兰的限定摹状词理论对“语境”原则的贯彻

The Principle of Context in Donnellan's Theory of Description

罗素的摹状词理论第一次从指称的角度将专名与摹状词区别开来。斯特劳森不仅是第一个对罗素的摹状词理论提出系统批评的人,而且也是第一个提出根据"语境"来确定摹状词的指称的人。唐奈兰的限定摹状词理论的根本特点在于他比斯特劳森更加彻底地贯彻了"语境"原则,认为语境从根本上决定着摹状词是起指称作用还是仅仅起归属作用。这意味着象罗素那样把某个语句从它的使用语境中孤立出来进行语义分析和逻辑分析的时代的终结。

For Russell,description is different from proper name in that it does not refer directly to an object.Stawson does not think that the difference between descriptions and proper names is as bigger as Russell thought.At the same time,Strawson has overlooked the attributive use of description in the process of concentrating his attention to the referential use of description.The biggest difference between Donnellan and Russell or Strawson is that the former maintains to judge the functions of description according to the context in which they are put in use.Furthermore,both Russell and Strawson hold that if the object denoted by a description does not exist,the sentence including the description would be meaningless.For Donnellan,such a kind of view may be appropriate to the attributive use of description,but as far as the referential use of description is concerned,it is completely wrong.When a speaker regards a description as the means to refer the given object,he can make his listener to understand what object he is referring,even when the description does not describe the object rightly.In one word,Donnellan has carried out the principle of context more consistently than Strawson.