Reference and Information Content: Names and Descriptions

Abstract

A primer on the theory of meaning and reference with respect to singular terms, this survey article canvasses the theories of john stuart mill, the early gottlob frege, bertrand russell (post-1904), and the later frege, as well as the theory of direct reference and the author's "modified naive theory." it includes a novel exposition of both russell's theory of descriptions (involving a special and a general theory) and frege's theory of indirect senses. it closes with a discussion of open issues.