| Summary: | 碩士 === 佛光大學 === 哲學系 === 97 === The questions of name (or proper name) are centered on whether name has its sense, how names are associated with those objects which they refer to, etc. The thesis only discusses about the reference theory of name.
Russell developed the Description Theory of name and argued that names are the abbreviation of descriptions. He interpreted name and the definite description as logical formula in order to solve the puzzles of the definite description and name. Afterwards, Searle proposed the Cluster Theory to modify Russell’s Description Theory.
Based on the points of view of possible worlds and rigidity, Kripke provided the Causal-Historical Theory, different from the Description Theory. He thought that name can refer to the same object (if exists) in any possible worlds. Therefore, names are rigid designators, and descriptions could not have the same function. This idea opened a new way of thinking about the questions of name, which drew some criticism in philosophy.
The thesis attempts to examine adequately some scholars’ arguments against the Causal-Historical Theory and make a fair comment.
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