Intension

Definition

Intension refers to the inherent meaning or concept associated with a term or expression, as opposed to its reference, which is the actual object or entity it denotes. Understanding intension is crucial for grasping how language conveys meaning beyond mere reference, influencing various aspects of semantics and logic, such as how different expressions can refer to the same entity while carrying different meanings or implications.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Intension plays a critical role in Frege's distinction between sense and reference, where sense corresponds to intension and reference corresponds to extension.
2. In opaque contexts, such as belief reports, the intension of terms becomes particularly significant because substituting co-referential terms may not yield equivalent meanings.
3. Model-theoretic semantics often relies on intension to determine how meanings are assigned to expressions within various possible worlds.
4. Montague's intensional logic incorporates intensions by treating them as functions from possible worlds to extensions, allowing for a formal representation of meaning.
5. The distinction between intension and extension helps explain phenomena like identity statements and how they can differ in truth value based on context.

Review Questions

• How does Frege's distinction between sense and reference illustrate the concept of intension?
  • Frege's distinction highlights that sense, which relates to intension, encompasses the inherent meaning of a term while reference relates to its extension or denotation. For instance, the terms 'the morning star' and 'the evening star' refer to the same object (Venus), but their senses are different. This difference illustrates how intension captures nuances of meaning that can influence understanding and interpretation in language.
• Discuss how identity statements demonstrate the importance of intension in opaque contexts.
  • Identity statements like 'Clark Kent is Superman' can vary in truth value depending on the speaker's understanding and context. In opaque contexts, substituting terms that refer to the same entity may not hold true if their intensional meanings differ. This means that what individuals believe about Clark Kent and Superman can affect whether they accept the identity statement as true or false, showcasing how intension impacts comprehension.
• Evaluate the implications of Montague's intensional logic for our understanding of natural language semantics.
  • Montague's intensional logic revolutionizes natural language semantics by formally integrating intensions as functions that map possible worlds to extensions. This approach allows us to analyze complex expressions and their meanings across various contexts. By demonstrating how intensional semantics can account for modal properties and context-dependent meanings, Montague's framework provides deep insights into how language operates beyond mere reference, enriching our grasp of linguistic meaning.

Related terms

Extension: Extension refers to the actual set of objects or entities that a term or expression refers to in the world.

Sense: Sense is the way in which a term conveys meaning, often considered part of its intension, as it reflects how the term is understood in context.

Opaque Contexts: Opaque contexts are situations in which the substitution of co-referential terms can change the truth value of a statement, highlighting the importance of intension in understanding meaning.