How Blackburn's Solution to the Frege-Geach Problem Could Be More Quasi-Realistic

Eli Bonner

Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Edidin, Aron

Keywords

Quasi-Realism, Frege-Geach Problem, Blackburn, Simon, Philosophy of Language, Ethics

Area of Concentration

Philosophy

Abstract

This thesis argues that one aspect of Simon Blackburn�s philosophy, expressivism about moral language, is to some extent incongruent with another aspect of his philosophy, quasi-realism. More precisely, Blackburn�s �expressivism plus quasi-realism� could be more quasirealistic. In particular, I propose a solution to the Frege-Geach problem that is more quasi-realistic than Blackburn�s own solution. Before doing this, I outline what quasi-realism is and how Blackburn sees it in relation to the traditional realism/anti-realism debates. Subsequently, I describe Blackburn�s account of moral language, paying special attention to his solution to the Frege-Geach problem. Finally, I articulate my own solution that is at once more quasi-realistic and more clearly isomorphic to realist treatments of moral language.

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