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Single Idea 19204

[filed under theme 19. Language / D. Propositions / 2. Abstract Propositions / a. Propositions as sense ]

Full Idea

1,000 years ago, no sentence had ever expressed, and no one had believed, the true proposition 'a water molecule has two hydrogen and one oxygen atoms'. There are surely true propositions that have never been, and never will be, expressed or believed.

Gist of Idea

True propositions existed prior to their being thought, and might never be thought

Source

Trenton Merricks (Propositions [2015], 1.V)

Book Ref

Merricks,Trenton: 'Propositions' [OUP 2015], p.22

A Reaction

'Surely'? Surely not! How many propositions exist? Where do they exist? What are they made of? If they already exist when we think them, how do we tune into them? When did his example come into existence? Before water did? No! No!

The 19 ideas with the same theme [propositions as objective abstract entities]:

17264 Propositions are abstract structures of concepts, ready for judgement or assertion [Bolzano, by Correia/Schnieder]
12232 A 'proposition' is the sense of a linguistic expression, and can be true or false [Bolzano]
4974 For all the multiplicity of languages, mankind has a common stock of thoughts [Frege]
16873 Thoughts are not subjective or psychological, because some thoughts are the same for us all [Frege]
16872 A thought is the sense expressed by a sentence, and is what we prove [Frege]
19467 A 'thought' is something for which the question of truth can arise; thoughts are senses of sentences [Frege]
18967 A 'proposition' is said to be the timeless cognitive part of the meaning of a sentence [Quine]
18368 For all being, there is a potential proposition which expresses its existence and nature [Armstrong]
18370 A realm of abstract propositions is causally inert, so has no explanatory value [Armstrong]
2518 Sentences are abstract types (like musical scores), not individual tokens [Katz]
8076 The distinction between sentences and abstract propositions is crucial in logic [Devlin]
4604 If propositions are abstract entities, how do human beings interact with them? [Heil]
10420 Maybe a proposition is just a property with all its places filled [Swoyer]
9451 Modal logic and brain science have reaffirmed traditional belief in propositions [Bealer]
19202 Propositions are necessary existents which essentially (but inexplicably) represent things [Merricks]
19204 True propositions existed prior to their being thought, and might never be thought [Merricks]
19210 The standard view of propositions says they never change their truth-value [Merricks]
21635 Without propositions there can be no beliefs or desires [Hofweber]
18862 Are propositions all the thoughts and sentences that are possible? [Tallant]