Single Idea 9978

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 7. Limitations of Analysis]

Full Idea

The tendency to attack forms of expression rather than attempting to appreciate what is actually being said is one of the more unfortunate habits that analytic philosophy inherited from Frege.

Gist of Idea

Analytic philosophy focuses too much on forms of expression, instead of what is actually said

Source

William W. Tait (Frege versus Cantor and Dedekind [1996], IV)

Book Reference

'Philosophy of Mathematics: anthology', ed/tr. Jacquette,Dale [Blackwell 2002], p.45


A Reaction

The key to this, I say, is to acknowledge the existence of propositions (in brains). For example, this belief will make teachers more sympathetic to pupils who are struggling to express an idea, and verbal nit-picking becomes totally irrelevant.