Use and Mention

By hipkapi March 5, 2011 basics

All works of Balagangadhara make use of use-mention distinction. Please get familiarized with this distinction.

In logic the words ‘use’ and ‘mention’ [both the nouns and the verbs] are sometimes used in a technical sense to mark an important distinction, which is explaind by example:

  1. ‘London’ is a word six letters long.
  2. London is a city.

In 1 the word ‘London’ is said to be mentioned; in 2 the word ‘London’ is said to be used (and not mentioned).