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The Relation Between Reference and Existence in Russell’s Theory of Denoting
Abstract:
In this article, we will look at Russell's theory of descriptions and Strawson‘s critics on it. The main accent is on utterances that include certain definite descriptions that do not referrer to anything. The analysis requires us to focus our attention to the distinction between denotation and meaning because it is a key part of Russell’s and Strawson's arguments. We will put this problem in the context of other authors who share opinions on the matter: Geach, Austin, Donnellan, and Searle. The purpose of this text is to show that Russell has made an error analyzing these statements in saying that the use of definite descriptions implies existence.
Key words: Russell, reference, existence, denotation, Strawson,