I want to parse like Superman (was Re: Identity)

[John Cowan]

Reynolds, Gregg scripsit:

> 	You should quote, not only the names "Clark Kent" and "Superman",
> but all others as well.

I quote something when I mention it, and don't quote it when I use it
to refer to its referent (denotation).  Thus:

	"Clark Kent" has nine letters.
	Clark Kent has X-ray vision.

> The question is perhaps more fruitfully stated as
> "how can we determine that two names have the same denotation".  The classic
> example is: the names "Sir Walter Scott" and "the author of Waverly" have
> the same denotation, whether anybody knows it or not (although they may have
> different senses).  But we can't directly talk about any denotation; we can
> only use names.  So "Clark Kent" and "Superman", qua names, have the same
> denotation, whether "Lois" gets it or not.  They also have clearly different
> meanings, as "Lois" would surely attest.

I agree with this, but I have a definition of "meaning" that isn't
everybody's.

-- 
John Cowan					cowan at ccil.org
		e'osai ko sarji la lojban.

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