Direct Reference Theory / Causal-Historical Theory
A name reaches its object through a causal history rather than descriptive meaning.
What it claims
Direct reference theory holds that proper names refer without descriptive content mediating their reference. A name is a rigid designator: across possible circumstances it designates the same individual, rather than whoever meets a description there. It rejects the idea that a name's meaning is a bundle of the speaker's beliefs.
Nearby positions
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Key thinkers
Saul Kripke · Keith Donnellan · Hilary Putnam · David Kaplan · Ruth Barcan Marcus