Single Idea 23289

[catalogued under 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 4. Meaning as Truth-Conditions]

Full Idea

It is clear that someone who knows under what conditions a sentence would be true understands that sentence, …and if someone does not know under what conditions it would be true then they do not understand it.

Gist of Idea

Knowing the potential truth conditions of a sentence is necessary and sufficient for understanding

Source

Donald Davidson (Truth Rehabilitated [1997], p.13)

Book Reference

Davidson,Donald: 'Truth, Language and History' [OUP 2005], p.13


A Reaction

I've always subscribed to this view. Langauge is meaningless if you can't relate it to reality, and I don't think there could be a language without an intuitive notion of truth.