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Single Idea 16874

[filed under theme 19. Language / D. Propositions / 5. Unity of Propositions ]

Full Idea

A sentence is generally a complex sign, so the thought expressed by it is complex too: in fact it is put together in such a way that parts of a thought correspond to parts of the sentence.

Gist of Idea

The parts of a thought map onto the parts of a sentence

Source

Gottlob Frege (Logic in Mathematics [1914], p.207)

Book Ref

Frege,Gottlob: 'Posthumous Writings', ed/tr. Hermes/Long/White etc [Blackwell 1979], p.207


A Reaction

This is the compositional view of propositions, as opposed to the holistic view.


The 8 ideas with the same theme [what makes a proposition a unified entity]:

The parts of a thought map onto the parts of a sentence [Frege]
A sentence is only a thought if it is complete, and has a time-specification [Frege]
A proposition is a unity, and analysis destroys it [Russell]
Russell said the proposition must explain its own unity - or else objective truth is impossible [Russell, by Davidson]
Hegelians say propositions defy analysis, but Moore says they can be broken down [Moore,GE, by Monk]
A proposition ingredient is 'essential' if changing it would change the truth-value [Fine,K]
Unity of the proposition questions: what unites them? can the same constituents make different ones? [Merricks]
We want to explain not just what unites the constituents, but what unites them into a proposition [Merricks]