Donnellan argues that there are two different uses of definite descriptions. The first type is the attributive use, which more or less follows the Russellian account of definite descriptions in that the logical structure of the description refers to a variable rather than a particular individual which the speak has in mind. The second type is the referential use of descriptions in which the speaker uses the sentence, which may in fact be a misdescription, as helpful material to pick out the referent which he/she does have in mind. (more…)
