Abstract

Forty some years ago, W. V. Quine introduced the notion of referential opacity and offered two criteria for opacity. In my dissertation, I offer a critical account of Quine's two criteria for opacity. I call his first criterion the substitution criterion, and I call his second criterion the quantification criterion. I first argue that Quine has not given us an unambiguous account of his substitution criterion. I then argue that the substitution criterion which he actually employs is plagued with difficulties. Lastly, I argue that in so far as Quine can claim to have a quantification criterion for opacity which coheres with his substitution criterion the former reduces to the latter