On Determining Reference

The paper is concerned with the general problem of determining reference and with Putnam’s model-theoretic argument in particular. There are two parts to this problem: explaining reference in a way that distinguishes it from other word–world relations; and demonstrating that reference so distinguished is special in some way. Causal theories of reference promise a solution to the first part of the problem. The paper claims to have solved the second part by giving reference a certain place in the causal nexus: reference is special in that it is partly in virtue of their referential relations that thoughts cause intentional behaviors and are caused by the world. There is no good reason to accept that the constraints on reference are as meager as those of Putnam’s model-theoretic argument or of Quine’s indeterminacy argument. Hence there is no good reason to accept the conclusion of these arguments that reference is indeterminate.