'For the person or persons that hold dominion, can no more combine with the keeping up of majesty the running with harlots drunk or naked about the streets, or the performances of a stage player, or the open violation or contempt of laws passed by themselves than they can combine existence with non-existence'.

- Benedict de Spinoza. Political Treatise. 1677.




Thursday, December 11, 2014

Philosophical Grammar 79


79. The definition “A Proposition is whatever can be true or false”. – The words “true” and “false” are items in a particular notation for the truth-functions.

Does “ ‘p’ is true” state anything about the sign ‘p’?



a proposition is a proposal – you can assent to the proposal or dissent from it

as with the proposal – your assent or dissent – is open to question – open to doubt – uncertain

truth functional calculus – is a language-game – a logic game

the concepts – the operations of the game – are like those of any game – open to question – open to doubt

the history of modern logic is testament to this

however if you play the game – you play within its terms –

the game as played has no place for question – for doubt – for uncertainty

does “ ‘p’ is true” state anything about the sign ‘p’?

no



© greg t. charlton. 2014.