This series is a basic introduction to Russell's theory of descriptions. In this video, we examine two important theories that preceded and inspired Russell's: those of Gottlob Frege and Alexius Meinong. Some notes to the video: I've briefly noted some of Russell's criticisms of Frege's and Meinong's theories. There are, of course, plenty of other criticisms; you can find more detailed criticisms of Frege in any good introduction to philosophy of language. Meinong doesn't get so much coverage, perhaps largely because his theory has, for most of the last century, been almost universally rejected and regarded as untenable. This attitude is unfair in my opinion, and is arguably based on misunderstanding. Thus Lycan in his "Philosophy of Language" writes: "Alexius Meinong insist[s] ... that any possible object of thought - even a self-contradictory one - has being of a sort even though only a few such things are so lucky as to exist in reality as well." Kenneth Taylor, in "Truth and Meaning": "... there do not exist any non-existent objects, but there do, [Meinong] insists, subsist such objects. ... It is of subsistent objects that we speak when we say truly that the golden mountain does not exist." Alex Miller, in "Philosophy of Language": "The King of France, even though he doesn't exist, nevertheless subsists." These quotes describe Russell's earlier theory, not Meinong's theory! It is unfortunate that what are otherwise very fine introductions to philosophy of language are marred by a blatant misrepresentation of the views of an important figure. On the other hand, I suppose they can be commended for bothering to attempt to explain Meinong's views (even if only in the space of a few lines), which can't be said of all such introductions (e.g. Devitt & Sterelny's). I don't know of any introductory book to philosophy of language that explores Meinong's theory. See instead: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/meinong/#ObjTheOntBeyBeiNonBei or more generally: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nonexistent-objects/ .

• published: 21 Aug 2013
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