Research Group
in Analytic Philosophy

Abstract

In this talk I will offer an interpretation of Frege's semantic
doctrines and of their evolution from the Begriffschrift to Der Gedanke.
  Special attention will be paid  to the evolution of the notion of
sense (Sinn) and the role of context in Frege's doctrines.  I will also
try to point out some tensions in Frege's conception of semantic
relations.  My strategy will be to focus on the way in which Frege
conceives of temporal expressions (tense, temporal indexicals, and so
on), reference to time and time as part of the expression of thought.
Ultimately, I intend to show that the difficulties raised by these
expressions are merely a particular instance/s of more general problems
in Frege's doctrines. Some samples of recent literature on Frege's views
on temporal indexicals will also be discussed.