The Development of the Sense-Reference Distinction and its Impact on Semantic Studies

Abstract

The research aims to analyze Frege's notions of Sense and Reference in his philosophy of language. It elucidates the basis of his distinction and evaluates it in the light of later developments in logic and semantics. The research also derives data from the repetition style in language. It identifies divergences between "Sense and Reference" and "Extension and Intension" in identity statements, using a descriptive-analytical method to understand and evaluate the theory and compare it to the Extension/Intension distinction. The research finds that Frege's core aim was to establish an objective theory of meaning, independent of arbitrary or subjective relations, which is suitable for knowledge and representing the way of language use. And that Frege's theory faced challenges, leading to the emergence of Intension and Extension in logic and semantics. This shift is not a complete break but offers a more precise analytical tool for a deeper understanding of the relationship between the world and its concepts in language.