Repository | Journal | Volume | Article

234448

Rigidity and triviality

Fredrik Haraldsen

pp. 1993-1999

Abstract

Though it is often claimed that some general terms are rigid designators, it has turned out to be difficult to give a satisfying definition that (1) avoids making all general terms rigid (the overgeneralization problem), and (2) even if a non-rigid reading is available, makes that non-rigid reading matter (the trivialization problem). Several authors have attempted to develop examples that meet the trivialization challenge, with Martí and Martínez-Fernández providing what is, perhaps, the most convincing strategy. I show that the type of example Martí and Martínez-Fernández offer nevertheless fails to meet the trivialization challenge and, accordingly, that we should still have serious doubts about whether continuing the search for a non-trivial definition of general term rigidity would be fruitful.

Publication details

Published in:

Piccinini Gualtiero (2018) Neuroscience and its philosophy. Synthese 195 (5).

Pages: 1993-1999

DOI: 10.1007/s11229-016-1311-x

Full citation:

Haraldsen Fredrik (2018) „Rigidity and triviality“. Synthese 195 (5), 1993–1999.