Abstract
Gottlob Frege, influenced by Platonism, believed in the existence of abstract objects like numbers, independent of human thought.
Frege's focus on formal logic aimed to prove "logicism', the idea that mathematics can be reduced to logic, laying the groundwork for analytic philosophy. His distinction between sense and reference in language highlighted how language can obscure thought, leading him to analyse language to understand the logical structure of thought.
Frege's views on language differed from Kant's, with Frege focusing on the formal aspects of language and its role in conveying meaning through distinctions like sense and reference. He criticised empiricism, arguing that knowledge goes beyond empirical observations, with mathematical truths and logical principles existing independently of human experience.
Philosophical context
Platonism
The German mathematician and philosopher Gottlob Frege (1848 -1925) believed in the existence of abstract objects, particularly numbers and other mathematical entities. He argued that these objects exist independently of human thought and language, which aligns with the Platonist view that abstract entities are real and not merely constructs of the mind. He distinguished between the sense (Sinn) of an expression and its reference (Bedeutung). The sense of a term is the way in which the reference is presented. This distinction is crucial for understanding how we can talk about abstract objects like numbers, which do not have a physical presence but can still be meaningfully discussed.
However, Frege perceived a paradox that lies at the heart of his attitude toward language. On the one hand, language is indispensable for us in order to get access to thought. On the other hand, language, because of its sensible character, obscures thought (which by itself is insensible). Thus, Frege saw himself forced to deal with language by way of a continuous struggle, fighting the distortions that are imposed on thought by language, and diagnosing as well as clarifying the misunderstandings that result from these distortions. This dilemma raised questions about the coherence of his Platonist framework.
Frege's Platonism has influenced the philosophy of mathematics and logic. His belief in the existence of abstract objects and the objectivity of mathematical truths continues to be a topic of discussion and debate in contemporary philosophy.
17th century thinking
Well before Frege, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke had assigned two main characteristic uses to language with regard to thought: first, memory (the representation and recording of one’s own thoughts); secondly, as a required vehicle of communication of one’s own thoughts to other people. It was not before the later decades of the 19th century, however, that the philosophical method was finally beginning to take a radically “linguistic turn” – investigating language in order to best deal with ontological or conceptual problems – and Frege has been regarded as one of the first and most innovative thinkers in this respect.
Analytic philosophy
Frege provided a system of formal logic, with its own system of symbolic notation. His goal in doing so was to prove logicism, the view that mathematics is reducible to logic. This was also Russell’s goal in the Principia Mathematica and it is argued that he relied heavily on the work of several forebears, including Frege, a generation previously. Frege also anticipated Russell’s notion of incomplete symbols by invoking what has come to be called “the context principle": words have meaning only in the context of complete sentences.
Frege’s focus on the formalisation and symbolisation of logic naturally led him into terrain that could now classify as the philosophy of language, and to approach certain philosophical problems as if they were about language. This has led some to argue that Frege's 'linguistic turn' is similar to that perceivable in the early work of Moore and Russell and that Frege was a founder of analytic philosophy.
Frege's insight was that human thought depends, in certain ways, on language, or on symbols in general. This led him to analyse the workings of language in order to investigate the logical structure of thought. It seems that most of the general philosophical issues upon which Frege reflected were concerned with the nature of thought in general and its relation to logic, truth, language, and to the objects it can be about.
Kant
Kant and Frege offer different perspectives on the philosophy of language. Kant views language as a reflection of the mind's cognitive structures, particularly its role in expressing concepts shaped by human experience. In contrast, Frege focuses on the formal aspects of language, introducing distinctions that clarify meaning and reference. Kant's views on language influenced later epistemology and the understanding of concepts. Frege's work laid the groundwork for modern logic and analytic philosophy, influencing thinkers like Russell and Wittgenstein.
For Kant, language serves as a tool for expressing thoughts and concepts shaped by the mind's structures. It is secondary to the cognitive structures that shape understanding and reflects our mental categories. Concepts are mental representations that help us categorise experiences and language expresses these concepts. Meaning is tied to the cognitive processes and categories of the mind. It is not fixed, but shaped by human experience.
For Frege, language is a formal system that conveys meaning through a distinction between sense and reference. It is central to understanding meaning and logic, with a focus on the distinction between sense (Sinn) and reference (Bedeutung), where sense is the way a reference is presented. Meaning is determined by the relationship between sense and reference, emphasising clarity and precision in language.
Empiricism
Frege was critical of empiricism, particularly the idea that knowledge is primarily derived from sensory experience. Frege distinguished between concepts and objects, arguing that concepts cannot be reduced to empirical observations. For him, the meaning of a term is not merely tied to its empirical referent but involves a deeper logical structure.
Frege's logical realism posits that mathematical truths and logical principles exist independently of human thought and experience. This stands in contrast to empiricist views, which affirm that knowledge is contingent upon sensory experience.
Commentary
Gottlob Frege's 1918 essay Der Gedanke. Eine logische Untersuchung (The Thought: A Logical Inquiry), is a crucial work in the philosophy of language and logic. In it Frege explores the nature of thoughts, their relationship to language, and the implications for understanding meaning and reference.
The author argues that thoughts (or propositions) are objective entities that can be true or false. He distinguishes between:
- thoughts as abstract entities (thoughts are not merely subjective mental states but have an objective existence). They can be shared and communicated through language.
- a sentence expresses a thought, but the thought itself is distinct from the linguistic expression. This separation means that different sentences can express the same thought.
Frege states his famous distinction between sense (Sinn) and reference (Bedeutung). Sense is the mode of presentation of a thought. It is how a thought is understood or grasped. Reference is the actual object or truth value that the thought corresponds to. For example, the thoughts expressed by "the morning star is a planet" and "the evening star is a planet" refer to the same truth but have different senses.
Frege affirms the importance of language in articulating thoughts. Language serves as a vehicle for expressing thoughts, allowing for communication and shared understanding. The precision of language is essential for clear thinking. Ambiguities in language can lead to misunderstandings in thought.
Frege's exploration of thoughts has significant implications for various areas of philosophy. His work laid the foundation for later developments in the philosophy of language, influencing thinkers like Russell and Wittgenstein. By treating thoughts as objective entities, Frege challenged subjective views of knowledge and understanding. Frege's insights into the structure of thoughts contributed to the development of formal logic and the analysis of propositions.
Themes
The linguistic turn
The 'linguistic turn' in philosophy refers to the centrality of language in understanding philosophical problems and concepts. Frege's work laid the groundwork for the linguistic turn through several key ideas.
Frege's distinction between sense (Sinn) and reference (Bedeutung) is foundational. He argued that sense is the way in which a term presents an object. For example, "the morning star" and "the evening star" refer to the same planet (Venus) but have different senses. Reference refers to the actual object that a term denotes. This distinction highlights that understanding language involves more than just knowing what objects words refer to. It also involves grasping the meanings behind those words.
Frege introduced the idea that sentences can be understood in terms of functions and arguments. This approach underlines the role of language in expressing logical relationships. Functions are expressions that take arguments (like predicates in logic). Arguments are the entities that are plugged into these functions to yield truth values. This perspective shifted the focus from merely describing objects to understanding how language operates in logical structures.
Frege's work suggests that language is not just a means of communication but a crucial tool for structuring thought and understanding reality. Many philosophical problems can be traced back to misunderstandings or confusions in language. Frege's analysis encourages philosophers to clarify language to resolve these issues.
Frege's ideas influenced later philosophers, such as Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein, who further explored the relationship between language, meaning, and reality.
The Nature of Thoughts
Frege argues that thoughts are objective entities that can be true or false, independent of the individual who thinks them. He maintains that thoughts are not merely subjective mental states but have a logical structure. This means that two people can share the same thought, even if they have different beliefs about it. The objectivity of thoughts raises questions about knowledge and belief. Thoughts are also closely tied to truth values. A thought can be true or false, and this truth value is what gives it significance in logical analysis.
Frege's work on identity and substitution of terms in thoughts led to important insights in logic. He argued that substituting co-referential terms in a thought does not always preserve the sense, which is crucial for understanding meaning in language.
Distinctions: reference & sense
Frege maintains the importance of logic in understanding thoughts. He believes that the logical structure of a thought is crucial for its analysis and that language should reflect this structure to convey meaning accurately.
Analysing language through the lens of Frege's linguistic distinctions takes into account the object referred to and the meaning we attribute to it:
reference (The Eiffel Tower is in Paris) and sense (The sense of "the Eiffel Tower"includes its cultural significance, architectural features, and the emotions it evokes, which may differ from the sense of 'the tallest structure in Paris.')
Avoiding ambiguity:
reference: "bank" (that can refer to a financial institution or the side of a river.)
sense analysing the context helps clarify which sense is intended.
Clarification of identity:
reference: "Hesperus is Phosphorus" (both terms refer to the same planet, Venus).
sense: the different senses (evening star vs. morning star) can lead to different cognitive implications for the listener.
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