Cases Quote by Saul Kripke
“Let's call something a rigid designator if in every possible world it designates the same object, a non-rigid or accidental designator if that is not the case. Of course we don't require that the objects exist in all possible worlds… When we think of a property as essential to an object we usually mean that it is true of that object in any case where it would have existed. A rigid designator of a necessary existent can be called strongly rigid.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Naming and Necessity, 1980
Rigid designators refer to the same object in all possible worlds; non‑rigid ones do not. Essential properties hold across all possible worlds.
In simple terms: Some names always point to the same thing; others can change.
Key Takeaway
Identify truly essential attributes.
Themes
philosophy
language
logic
identity
modalities
Mood
analytical
technical
Type
philosophical
academic
When to use this quote
- legal definitions
- software naming
- scientific classification
Key Concepts
rigidity
essentialism
possible worlds
reference theory
Questions to Reflect On
- What terms in your field are truly rigid?
- How do you handle ambiguous references?
A Different Perspective
Rigid terms may be misapplied when contexts shift.
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