A Deconstructionist Critique of 'On Denoting' -- Introducing aNAND-deconstruction

Abstract

On denoting is a paradigmatic essay by Bertrand Russell and has been termed by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy as -the- paradigm of philosophy. This paper is intended to be a critique of Russell's theory in On denoting. This critique, in essence, is this: because language is deployed in social contexts, dynamics of power, group dynamics and psychology are inherently tied into the use of language. Thus, what a phrase 'means' (the meaning M of phrase P) and 'denotes' (the denotation D of phrase P) are not just the literal sense of the phrase. It is also about who said what to whom and in what context, what was the power relation between the speaker(s) or communicator(s) and the person(s) being spoken to or communicated to. The intent of the communicator I, the context of the communication C, the technology of delivery of the communication T, the nonverbal communication accompanying the communication NV and the method of delivery MT are all variables that also determine the meaning M, not just the specific words used in the phrase P. Thus, M is a function not just of the set of words S in P. M is a function of I, C, T, NV and MT as well.