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Full Idea
Postulate a higher-order state of affairs, of all the states of affairs in which Theaetetus is involved. Is this not a good candidate for a truthmaker for the negative truth that 'Theaetetus is not flying'?
Gist of Idea
Negative truths have as truthmakers all states of affairs relevant to the truth
Source
David M. Armstrong (Truth and Truthmakers [2004], 05.2)
Book Ref
Armstrong,D.M.: 'Truth and Truthmakers' [CUP 2004], p.58
A Reaction
It certainly seems extravagant to need the whole universe to make true 'there are no lions in this room'. But for 'there are no unicorns' it is not clear which states of affairs unicorns are involved. (Armstrong is aware of this).
| 21544 | It seems that when a proposition is false, something must fail to subsist [Russell] |
| 15547 | Negative existentials have 'totality facts' as truthmakers [Armstrong, by Lewis] |
| 18377 | Negative truths have as truthmakers all states of affairs relevant to the truth [Armstrong] |
| 18382 | The nature of arctic animals is truthmaker for the absence of penguins there [Armstrong] |
| 15549 | If it were true that nothing at all existed, would that have a truthmaker? [Lewis] |
| 9139 | If nothing exists, no truthmakers could make 'Nothing exists' true [Sorensen] |
| 14394 | It is implausible that claims about non-existence are about existing things [Merricks] |
| 18479 | There are different types of truthmakers for different types of negative truth [MacBride] |
| 18477 | There aren't enough positive states out there to support all the negative truths [MacBride] |
| 18869 | Without truthmakers, negative truths must be ungrounded [Cameron] |