Single Idea 5420

[catalogued under 3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 1. Truth]

Full Idea

Although truth and falsehood are properties of beliefs, they are properties dependent upon the relations of the beliefs to other things, not upon any internal quality of the beliefs.

Gist of Idea

Truth is a property of a belief, but dependent on its external relations, not its internal qualities

Source

Bertrand Russell (Problems of Philosophy [1912], Ch.12)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'The Problems of Philosophy' [OUP 1995], p.70


A Reaction

Beliefs can have an intrinsic property of subjective certainty, but Russell is right that that is not enough. So is truth a property or a relation?

Related Idea

Idea 15323 Truth is a property, because the truth predicate has an extension [Horsten]