专名是一种特殊的谓词吗——伯奇专名理论的批判与反思

Are Proper Names a Special Kind of Predicates——The Criticism and Reflection of the Theory of Burge's Proper Names

美国著名语言哲学家伯奇(Tyler Burge)提出并论证了"专名是一种特殊的谓词"的观点,以此来批评关于专名在形式语义学中的两种经典观点。伯奇对"缩略"观点的批判是有说服力的,但对"个体常元"观点的批判却基于对"真正的专名的用法"与"伪专名的用法"的混淆。就"真正的专名用法"而言,将专名视为形式语义理论中的"个体常元",仍是最有说服力的理论。

Tyler Burge, an American philosopher of language, proposed and demonstrated the view of ＂the proper names are a special kind of predicates＂, attempting to criticize two classical points of view about proper names in the formal theory of language. Bases on reviewing the work of Burge and related arguments, this paper attempts to show that the criticism of the ＂abbreviation＂ view is convincing. But he confused between ＂the real use of proper names＂ and ＂pseudo - use of proper names＂ on the criticism of individual constant view. As far as the ＂real use of proper names＂ is concerned, the semantic theory of proper names as a form of ＂individual con- stant＂ is still the most convincing theory.