TY - JOUR A1 - Hildebrandt, Frauke A1 - Glauer, Ramiro T1 - Singular reference : the turn to propositional thinking JF - Grazer Philosophische Studien : International Journal for Analytic Philosophy N2 - The ability to refer to objects – singular reference – is arguably the decisive innovation on the way to human propositional cognition. This article argues that object individuation requires singular reference because basic singular terms, namely spatial indexicals, provide a symbolic frame of reference for object individuation. The authors suggest that singular reference is intrinsically connected to essential characteristics of propositionality: among other things, it guarantees the situation-independence of meaning, allows for the distinction between truth and falsehood, and enables us to think about possibilities. The authors sketch how singular reference gives rise to the development of predication, the powerful logical tool of quantification, and forms the basis for differentiating between belief and desire. KW - Aussagenlogik KW - Index Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1163/18756735-00000164 SN - 0165-9227 VL - 99 IS - 2 SP - 159 EP - 185 PB - Brill CY - Leiden ER -