<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This paper is about the meaning and function of identity statements involving proper names. There are two prominent views on this topic, according to which identity statements ascribe a relation: the object-view, on which identity statements ascribe a relation borne by all objects to themselves, and the name-view, on which an identity statement ‘<italic>a</italic> is <italic>b</italic>’ says that the names ‘<italic>a</italic>’ and ‘<italic>b</italic>’ codesignate. The object- and name-views may seem to exhaust the field. I make a case for treating identity statements as <italic>sui generis</italic> instead of attempting to explain them by means of the idea that they ascribe a relation. My contention is that once we do this, no <italic>analysis</italic> is required.</p></abstract>

This paper is about the meaning and function of identity statements involving proper names. There are two prominent views on this topic, according to which identity statements ascribe a relation: the object-view, on which identity statements ascribe a relation borne by all objects to themselves, and the name-view, on which an identity statement ‘a is b’ says that the names ‘a’ and ‘b’ codesignate. The object- and name-views may seem to exhaust the field. I make a case for treating identity statements as sui generis instead of attempting to explain them by means of the idea that they ascribe a relation. My contention is that once we do this, no analysis is required.

On Identity Statements: In Defense of a <italic>Sui Generis</italic> View

Disputatio

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

On Identity Statements: In Defense of a  View

This paper is about the meaning and function of identity statements involving proper names. There are two prominent views on this topic, according to which...

On Identity Statements: In Defense of a Sui Generis View

Published Online: Dec 31, 2018

Page range: 269 - 293

Received: Jan 18, 2016

Accepted: Jul 07, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/disp-2016-0016

Keywords
Identity statements, informative identities, numerical identity, names, Frege

© 2016 Tristan Haze, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

On Identity Statements: In Defense of a Sui Generis View

Published Online: Dec 31, 2018

Page range: 269 - 293

Received: Jan 18, 2016

Accepted: Jul 07, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/disp-2016-0016

KeywordsIdentity statements, informative identities, numerical identity, names, Frege

© 2016 Tristan Haze, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Identity statements, informative identities, numerical identity, names, Frege