Single Idea 3169

[catalogued under 19. Language / F. Communication / 5. Pragmatics / b. Implicature]

Full Idea

Bifurcated logical particles (either/or, if/then) are in principle beyond the power of any local chaining device to build sentences.

Gist of Idea

A simple chaining device can't build sentences containing 'either..or', or 'if..then'

Source

Georges Rey (Contemporary Philosophy of Mind [1997], 4.2.1)

Book Reference

Rey,Georges: 'Contemporary Philosophy of Mind' [Blackwell 1997], p.110


A Reaction

True in natural languages, but not in formal ones? If P then either if-Q-then-R or if-S-then-T. Is that chaining? If rain, then if light then puddles, or if heavy then floods. Hm.