Gottlob Frege - On Sense and Reference

The video discusses Fraga's 1892 paper on sense and reference, highlighting the complexity of linguistic terms which possess both a sense (meaning) and a reference (the object they denote). The speaker introduces a puzzle that Fraga addresses, using an example of a conversation between a woman named Ellen and Jay-Z, illustrating how she learns an empirical fact about him despite already knowing the name Jay-Z.

The speaker contrasts Fraga's theory with John Stuart Mill's 1881 theory, which posits that names only refer to objects without additional meaning. Mill's theory fails to explain why identity statements can be informative, as it treats names as interchangeable without acknowledging the cognitive value of learning that Shawn Carter is Jay-Z.

Fraga's solution involves introducing a third layer of meaning, the 'sense', which is distinct from both the name and the reference. The sense relates to how the object is presented or characterized, allowing for informative statements that convey empirical knowledge rather than just linguistic facts.

Using the example of the morning star and the evening star, the speaker illustrates how two names can refer to the same object (Venus) but have different senses. This distinction allows for informative statements that reveal new knowledge about the world, which neither Mill's nor Fraga's earlier theories could adequately explain.

Fraga's theory posits that names have both a reference (the object) and a sense (the mode of presentation). He emphasizes that sense is a public property shared among speakers, distinguishing it from private mental conceptions. This public nature of sense allows for shared understanding of terms across different individuals.