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Single Idea 19467

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

Full Idea

I call a 'thought' something for which the question of truth can arise at all. ...So I can say: thoughts are senses of sentences, without wishing to assert that the sense of every sentence is a thought.

Gist of Idea

A 'thought' is something for which the question of truth can arise; thoughts are senses of sentences

Source

Gottlob Frege (The Thought: a Logical Enquiry [1918], p.327-8 (61))

Book Ref

Frege,Gottlob: 'The Frege Reader', ed/tr. Beaney,Michael [Blackwell 1997], p.328


A Reaction

This builds on his distinction between sense and reference. The reference of every truth sentence is just 'the true', and the sense is the proposition. The concept of a proposition seems indispensable to logic, I would say.


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

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