Question
Description acceptable. A viral philosophy meme from 2024 quotes the derivation of this theory, which states, “Someone, let's say, a baby, is born; his parents call him by a certain name.” For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this theory that holds that names come to refer to their referent during an "initial baptism," after which future uses of the name are spread from "link to link" through communication.
ANSWER: causal-historical theory of reference [or historical chain theory of reference; accept descriptions of Saul Kripke’s theory of reference; accept, BUT DO NOT OTHERWISE REVEAL, descriptions of the theory of reference from Naming and Necessity; prompt on historical theory of reference]
[10e] The causal-historical theory of reference was developed in this series of lectures delivered by Saul Kripke.
ANSWER: Naming and Necessity
[10h] A 1973 paper by this thinker criticizes the causal theory for being unable to handle cases where names change their reference by error, as when Marco Polo's misunderstanding led Madagascar to begin referring to the island rather than part of the mainland. John MacDowell edited this philosopher's major work, which was left unfinished at his death in 1980.
ANSWER: Gareth Evans (the paper is “The Causal Theory of Names,” and the book is The Varieties of Reference.)
<VD, Philosophy (19th/20th Century)>
Data
Summary
| Tournament | Edition | Exact Match? | Heard | PPB | Easy % | Medium % | Hard % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 RMP Fest Online Mirror | 05/31/25 | Y | 4 | 15.00 | 75% | 50% | 25% |
| 2025 RMP Fest Carleton Mirror | 07/13/25 | Y | 3 | 6.67 | 67% | 0% | 0% |
| 2025 RMP Fest CO Mirror | 08/10/25 | Y | 6 | 21.67 | 83% | 50% | 83% |