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Full Idea
Although most utterances are not concerned with truth, it is the pattern of sentences held true that gives sentences their meaning.
Gist of Idea
The pattern of sentences held true gives sentences their meaning
Source
Donald Davidson (Thought and Talk [1975], p.14)
Book Ref
'Mind and Language', ed/tr. Guttenplan,Samuel [OUP 1977], p.14
A Reaction
Davidson's distinctive version of meaning holism, as opposed to Quine's rather behaviouristic version. I agree that we relate to people through the pattern of sentences they hold true, but I am unconvinced that this 'gives sentences their meaning'.
| 6394 | The pattern of sentences held true gives sentences their meaning [Davidson] |
| 6395 | An understood sentence can be used for almost anything; it isn't language if it has only one use [Davidson] |
| 11144 | Concepts are only possible in a language community [Davidson] |
| 11145 | Having a belief involves the possibility of being mistaken [Davidson] |
| 6396 | A sentence is held true because of a combination of meaning and belief [Davidson] |
| 6397 | The concept of belief can only derive from relationship to a speech community [Davidson] |
| 6392 | Thought depends on speech [Davidson] |
| 6393 | A creature doesn't think unless it interprets another's speech [Davidson] |