Question

According to the theory advocated by G. Frege in his 'On Sense and Reference', the expression 'the largest prime number' would have \underline{\hspace{2cm}.}

• A. Both a sense and a reference
• B. Only sense, and no reference
• C. Only reference, and no sense
• D. Neither sense, nor reference

Hint:

When analyzing expressions like 'the largest prime number', remember that Frege's theory helps distinguish between the sense (meaning) and the reference (actual object) of a term.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

In Frege's theory of sense and reference, the sense of an expression refers to the way in which a referent is presented or described. The reference is the actual object or concept that the expression points to in the world.
The expression 'the largest prime number' is problematic because there is, in fact, no largest prime number—it is an open-ended concept in mathematics. According to Frege's theory, this expression has a sense because it conveys a certain meaning or idea (the concept of the largest prime number), but it lacks a reference because there is no actual entity or number that it refers to (since prime numbers go on indefinitely).
Thus, the correct answer is (B) Only sense, and no reference.