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Single Idea 11212

[filed under theme 5. Theory of Logic / E. Structures of Logic / 2. Logical Connectives / a. Logical connectives ]

Full Idea

A connective will possess the sense that it has by virtue of its competent users' finding certain rules of inference involving it to be primitively obvious.

Gist of Idea

The sense of a connective comes from primitively obvious rules of inference

Source

Ian Rumfitt ("Yes" and "No" [2000], III)

Book Ref

-: 'Mind' [-], p.787

A Reaction

Rumfitt cites Peacocke as endorsing this view, which characterises the logical connectives by their rules of usage rather than by their pure semantic value.

The 4 ideas from '"Yes" and "No"'

11210 Standardly 'and' and 'but' are held to have the same sense by having the same truth table [Rumfitt]
11211 If a sound conclusion comes from two errors that cancel out, the path of the argument must matter [Rumfitt]
11212 The sense of a connective comes from primitively obvious rules of inference [Rumfitt]
11214 We learn 'not' along with affirmation, by learning to either affirm or deny a sentence [Rumfitt]