Ontologías abundantes y rigidez para expresiones predicativas

Abstract

In this paper, I criticize an argumentative strategy that has been used in the literature to defend the view according to which rigidity for predicative expressions should be understood as identity of designation across possible worlds. It is a strategy that is based on the supposition that definite descriptions could designate unusual (i.e., "abundant") individuals just as well as some (allegedly) descriptive predicative expressions are able to designate unusual properties. I point out that this presupposition is at odds with some principles governing the semantic behaviour of definite descriptions and with the intuitive truth of some predications that include them.