Problems with Russell's Theory of Descriptions

1. 'The Present King of France is Bald' is neither true nor false

• Strawson draws on data to support this claim - namely, that when this sentence is uttered, we would not respond 'that's not true', rather, we would respond with confusion, stating 'But there is no King of France'.
• This supposedly shows that the speaker has produced an ostensibly referring expression which has misfired.
• Sentences in themselves can be neither true nor false.
• It is their tokens, utterances, which have the potential to be true or false; and when they fail to actually refer, they are not making a true or false claim.

Russell's Response:

• The fact that we would not say 'that's false' is not because 'that's false' would itself be false.
• Instead, it…