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Single Idea 4604

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

Full Idea

Anyone who takes propositions to be abstract entities owes the rest of us an account of how human beings could interact with such things.

Gist of Idea

If propositions are abstract entities, how do human beings interact with them?

Source

John Heil (Philosophy of Mind [1998], Ch.5)

Book Ref

Heil,John: 'Philosophy of Mind' [Routledge 1998], p.133


A Reaction

He makes this sound impossible, but that would mean that all abstraction is impossible, and there are no such things as ideas and concepts. In the end something has to be miraculous, so let it be our ability to think about abstractions.


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]