How did Hilary Putnam and David Kaplan explain the meaning of the word “I” in different contexts?

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Marble bust of Aristotle with a beard and draped robe, showing detailed facial features and wavy hair, set against a dark background. — Truth Detail of a Roman copy (2nd century bce) of a Greek alabaster portrait bust of Aristotle (c. 325 bce); in the collection of the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.

Hilary Putnam and David Kaplan addressed the challenge of how speakers with identical psychological states can use the word "I" to refer to different individuals. They proposed that while the truth conditions—and thus the meanings—of such utterances differ, the speakers still share a common understanding of the term through its "character."1

The character of "I" functions as a rule or a stereotype that associates the word with the specific individual who utters it in a given context. By mentally grasping this shared character, speakers understand the meaning of "I" even though the actual referent changes depending on who is speaking. This framework extends to other deictic expressions—such as "you," "here," and "now"—whose referents are similarly tied to the context of their use.1