IndexIntroductionSummaryCriticismConclusionIntroductionPeter Frederick Strawson, in his essay “On Referring” presents arguments as to why Bertrand Russell's essay “On Denoting” is problematic. Strawson and Russell conflict about the formation of a language that is accurate and can accurately relate the truth value of the philosophical statement. Strawson essentially wants to eliminate any meaning of "bad metaphysics" or misleading terms that can create logical problems in the field of Philosophy. I will argue that I basically agree with Strawson's essay and provide arguments to strengthen his point. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Summary Peter Frederick Strawson in his essay "On Referring" presents arguments as to why Bertrand Russell's essay "On Denoting" is problematic. First, one way Strawson shows the difference between his view and Russell's is through the example of stating the expression "the king of France is bald" in the present day. Russel claims that the statement is false when uttered in the present day. Strawson, unlike Russell, states that the expression is neither true nor false but is instead significant. That it is not the meaning of the convention, statement, or expression that makes it true or false, but rather the context in which the expression is used that makes it true or false. Russell, in comparison, argues that meaning is based on the object or property referred to. Strawson disagrees, arguing that reference and assertion are different acts, that assertion is an act made possible by reference to a thing or expression. Another difference between Strawson and Russell is that Strawson agrees that we should not subscribe to Russell's use of "denotative expressions". ” where we clearly classify the meanings of words. By comparison, Strawson argues that we should classify uses of certain expressions based on their context as “uniquely referring uses.” For example, when we say "a whale" we are not always referring to a single whale. Gottlob Frege in his article "On Sense and Reference", discusses the distinction between sense and reference. He argues that a logical subject can be stated in different senses but still have the same reference. For example, a morning star and an evening star are two different senses for referring to Venus. Criticism First, I agree with Strawson that it is not the use of an expression but rather the general direction of its use, its contextual application that gives insight into the expression's meaning or truth value. By advocating a new kind of language in which one attempts to include the specific definitions or uses or references of each term, Russell creates a language in which words that have multiple meanings based on their various contextual applications are put in jeopardy. In my opinion, although Russell is right to criticize Russell's view, Strawson's article would be stronger if he included an argument showing that Russell's view challenges fields such as Metaphysics. First, if we only have strict guidelines on the use of a word, logical expression, or expression as Russel argues, then it becomes difficult for anyone to discuss issues related to abstract theories trying to be presented. If we want to define every expression we have in a certain language when the language is constantly changing it is a task perhaps too difficult if not impossible. Secondly, a further argument or example that might help Strawson's article is.