On Sense, Reference and Place

Abstract

Identity, as the basis of normative logic, gives rise to contradictory consequences, especially when concrete physical things are in question. Frege, in his several articles, sought ways to cope with these contradictions. Here, a summary of his thoughts about the theme of identity is presented in the context of his article On Sense and Reference. Frege is the pioneer of giving priority to a purely logical approach instead of epistemological or onto-metaphysical approaches in dealing the ancient problems of philosophy, and by the distinction between sense and reference he developed a new theory of meaning. In this theory his concern shows an analytical characteristic that remains limited to the parts, and the relation of meaning with the whole (world) is uncertain. By following up Frege’s approach and in order to advance this theory, I tried to develop the concept of place which I claim to be a determinative element for meaning and the missing piece of the theory.