Single Idea 21544

[catalogued under 3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 6. Making Negative Truths]

Full Idea

It seems that when a proposition is false, something does not subsist which would subsist if the proposition were true.

Gist of Idea

It seems that when a proposition is false, something must fail to subsist

Source

Bertrand Russell (Meinong on Complexes and Assumptions [1904], p.76)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'Essays in Analysis', ed/tr. Lackey,Douglas [George Braziller 1973], p.76


A Reaction

This looks to me like a commitment by Russell to the truthmaker principle. The negations of false propositions are made true by some failure of existence in the world.

Related Idea

Idea 21543 If p is false, then believing not-p is knowing a truth, so negative propositions must exist [Russell]