Naming And Necessity by Saul Kripke

This philosophical work challenges prevailing theories of naming and necessity within the analytic tradition. It argues against the descriptivist theory of names, which suggests that a name is merely a cluster of descriptions associated with an object. Instead, the author introduces the concept of rigid designators to explain how names refer to the same object in all possible worlds where that object exists, emphasizing that names are directly linked to their referents without the mediation of descriptive content. The book also explores the necessity of identity statements and the contingent nature of scientific identities, significantly influencing contemporary philosophy of language and metaphysics.

The 10278th greatest book of all time

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Total Points: 13

This book was first published in 1980

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