Full Idea
Imagine being in a community which had no concept of truth; ..you cannot disquote on p and hence form beliefs about the world as a result of testimony, since you lack the device of disquotation that is the essence of truth.
Clarification
'Disquotation' is moving from 'p' (in quotation marks, the proposition) to p (the fact)
Gist of Idea
Without the disquotation device for truth, you could never form beliefs from others' testimony
Source
Colin McGinn (Logical Properties [2000], Ch.5)
Book Reference
McGinn,Colin: 'Logical Properties' [OUP 2003], p.101
A Reaction
Whether his theory is right or not, the observation that testimony is the really crucial area where we must have a notion of truth is very good. How about 'truth is what turns propositions into beliefs'?