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Full Idea
The mereological sum of what happens to be all the men does not necessitate that it is all the men. So if truthmaking involves necessitation, then this object cannot be the complete truthmaker for
Gist of Idea
Necessitating general truthmakers must also specify their limits
Source
David M. Armstrong (Truth and Truthmakers [2004], 06.1)
Book Ref
Armstrong,D.M.: 'Truth and Truthmakers' [CUP 2004], p.68
A Reaction
[He invokes Russell has his source] His point is that the truthmaker needs a further fact, beyond the men, which specifies that this is all of them. But only if truthmakers necessitate their truths (as Armstrong claims). I'm sympathetic to both claims.
18348 | Not only atomic truths, but also general and negative truths, have truth-makers [Russell, by Rami] |
18381 | Necessitating general truthmakers must also specify their limits [Armstrong] |
18482 | Optimalists say that negative and universal are true 'by default' from the positive truths [MacBride] |