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	Be Glad It's Not Deviant!
Mephisto:	Thomas.
Thomas:	Yes?
Mephisto:	Bet you a quarter meaning is reference.
Thomas:	Meaning is NOT reference.  If it were, the cognitive value of a = a would become essentially that of a = b, provided a = b were true.  What sets (true) a = b and a = a apart is not the reference of a and b--that is the same--but their SENSE.
	(extends hand)
	Gimme the quarter.
Mephisto:	(puzzled) What is SENSE?
Thomas:	Sense...sense is...whatever it is about a and b that sets a = b and a = a apart in cognitive content.
Mephisto:	And what's that?
Thomas:	(truculent) It's...it's SENSE!
Mephisto:	(agitated) I know I know I know! I know what sense is!  I know what sets true a = b and a = a apart!
	(Thomas rolls eyes)
Mephisto:	I do, I do, I do!  What sets them apart is they assert different things!
Thomas:	(incredulous) Assert different things? Sacré Leibniz! How can they?
Mephisto:	If they do, they can. Right?
Thomas:	Right.
Mephisto:	Well, they do. So they can.
Thomas:	(sighs) Look, a refers to a and b refers to b.  Right?
Mephisto:	Right.1
Thomas:	And a is b. Right?
Mephisto:	Right.
Thomas:	(triumphant) So a = b and a = a assert the same thing!
	(extends hand)
Mephisto:	You didn't say "right".
Thomas:	(reddening) Right?
Mephisto:	Wrong!
	(approaches Thomas)
Mephisto:	You wanna know why?
Thomas:	(trapped) Why?
Mephisto:	(in Thomas's ear) Because a and b are complexes!!!2
Thomas:	(mopping ear) Complexes? What's a COMplex?
	(suspicious)
Thomas:	Did Frege or Russell say anything about complexes? David Lewis didn't. His meanings were functions.
	(dreamily)
	Functions from functions from functions to functions from functions to functions...3
	(agitated)
	Frege Futures are taking off. My What You Always Wanted to Know About Sense But Were Afraid to Ask is hot off the press. And--wouldn't you know it!--along comes some pigeon-toed, circle-squaring anti-Frege, who...
	(crosses himself)
Mephisto:	(inspects feet)
	Pigeon-toed, yes.
	(eyes on Thomas)
	Circle-squaring, no.
Thomas:	(with feeling)
	True a = b says a = a,    So does b = b.4    That may seem fa-ahcical,    But dahling, it's cla-ahsical.    Hey! I don't mean maybe, It's righteous G. Frege.5    Sound inconvenient? Be glad it's not deviant!    Bub! Don't make me rough it, Take your complex and...6
	(remembers bet)
Thomas:	Now can I have my quarter?7

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