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Full Idea
A theory of truth lets us answer the underlying question how communication by language is possible.
Gist of Idea
A theory of truth tells us how communication by language is possible
Source
Donald Davidson (Reality without Reference [1977], p.137)
Book Ref
'Reference, Truth and Reality', ed/tr. Platts,Mark [RKP 1980], p.137
A Reaction
If, instead, you explain communication by understood intentions (á la Grice), you have to say more about what sort of intentions are meant. If you use reference, you still have more to say about the meaning of sentences. Davidson looks good.
| 6387 | A minimum requirement for a theory of meaning is that it include an account of truth [Davidson] |
| 6388 | Is reference the key place where language and the world meet? [Davidson] |
| 6389 | To explain the reference of a name, you must explain its sentence-role, so reference can't be defined nonlinguistically [Davidson] |
| 6390 | With a holistic approach, we can give up reference in empirical theories of language [Davidson] |
| 6391 | A theory of truth tells us how communication by language is possible [Davidson] |