Three methods of semantic análisis

Abstract

The objective of this work is to set out three semantic methods for the analysis of ordinary discourse. These methods arose historically as a solution to certain problems such as those presented by Russell in "On denoting" and which, according to him, all semantic theory should be able to.solve. These are, namely, the paradox of identity (how can the formation of an identity be informative?), the use of singular terms without denotation in significant phrases (how can something true about Pegaso be said if he did not exist?) and the exception to the laws of identity which arises in the occurrence of singular terms in certain contexts (how can one say something false about London which is true of the capital of Great Britain?). The methods (or kinds of methods) that are outlined in this essay can be ident ified with the names of the authors who gave rise to them, namely, Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russel and Rudolf Carnap, although the objective is to classify kinds of solutions to the problems referred to and not so much to analyse the concrete proposal of these three philosophers, except in the case of Carnap is solution which is the lesser known and had no follow-up.