Single Idea 6087

[catalogued under 3. Truth / H. Deflationary Truth / 3. Minimalist Truth]

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'?