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Full Idea
When pressed, philosophers will describe propositions as states of affairs or sets of possible worlds. But wait! Neither sets of possible worlds nor states of affairs - electrons being negatively charged, for instance - have truth values.
Gist of Idea
If propositions are states of affairs or sets of possible worlds, these lack truth values
Source
John Heil (From an Ontological Point of View [2003], Intro)
Book Ref
Heil,John: 'From an Ontological Point of View' [OUP 2005], p.10
A Reaction
I'm not sure that I see a problem. A pure proposition, expressed as, say "there is a giraffe on the roof" only acquires a truth value at the point where you assert it or believe it. There IS a possible world where there is a giraffe on the roof.
23486 | Pictures are possible situations in logical space [Wittgenstein] |
4897 | A proposition is a set of possible worlds for which its intension delivers truth [Perry] |
8420 | A proposition is a set of possible worlds where it is true [Lewis] |
9654 | A proposition is a set of entire possible worlds which instantiate a particular property [Lewis] |
15736 | A proposition is the property of being a possible world where it holds true [Lewis] |
15738 | Propositions can't have syntactic structure if they are just sets of worlds [Lewis] |
7002 | If propositions are states of affairs or sets of possible worlds, these lack truth values [Heil] |
21624 | It is known that there is a cognitive loss in identifying propositions with possible worlds [Williamson] |
18001 | Are there partial propositions, lacking truth value in some possible worlds? [Magidor] |