more on this theme | more from this thinker
Full Idea
The fact which is stated by a true sentence is not something in the world.
Gist of Idea
The fact which is stated by a true sentence is not something in the world
Source
Peter F. Strawson (Truth [1950], §2)
Book Ref
'The Nature of Truth', ed/tr. Lynch, Michael P. [MIT 2001], p.452
A Reaction
Everything is in the world. This may just be a quibble over how we should use the word 'fact'. At some point the substance of what is stated in a sentence must eventually be out there, or we would never act on what we say.
Related Idea
Idea 14095 Facts are structures of worldly items, rather like sentences, individuated by their ingredients [Rosen]
| 10841 | The word 'true' always refers to a possible statement [Strawson,P] |
| 10842 | The fact which is stated by a true sentence is not something in the world [Strawson,P] |
| 10843 | Facts aren't exactly true statements, but they are what those statements say [Strawson,P] |
| 10844 | The statement that it is raining perfectly fits the fact that it is raining [Strawson,P] |