
Publication details
Year: 2018
Pages: 1993-1999
Series: Synthese
Full citation:
, "Rigidity and triviality", Synthese 195 (5), 2018, pp. 1993-1999.


Rigidity and triviality
pp. 1993-1999
in: Gualtiero Piccinini (ed), Neuroscience and its philosophy, Synthese 195 (5), 2018.Abstract
Though it is often claimed that some general terms are rigid designators, it has turned out to be difficult to give a satisfying definition that (1) avoids making all general terms rigid (the overgeneralization problem), and (2) even if a non-rigid reading is available, makes that non-rigid reading matter (the trivialization problem). Several authors have attempted to develop examples that meet the trivialization challenge, with Martí and Martínez-Fernández providing what is, perhaps, the most convincing strategy. I show that the type of example Martí and Martínez-Fernández offer nevertheless fails to meet the trivialization challenge and, accordingly, that we should still have serious doubts about whether continuing the search for a non-trivial definition of general term rigidity would be fruitful.
Publication details
Year: 2018
Pages: 1993-1999
Series: Synthese
Full citation:
, "Rigidity and triviality", Synthese 195 (5), 2018, pp. 1993-1999.