Ideas from 'The Logical Basis of Metaphysics' by Michael Dummett [1991], by Theme Structure

green numbers give full details    |     back to texts     |     unexpand this idea


5. Theory of Logic / E. Structures of Logic / 2. Logical Connectives / c. not
Classical negation is circular, if it relies on knowing negation-conditions from truth-conditions
                        Full Idea: Explanations of classical negation assume that knowing what it is for the truth-condition of some statement to obtain, independently of recognising it to obtain, we thereby know what it is for it NOT to obtain; but this presupposes classical negation.
                        From: Michael Dummett (The Logical Basis of Metaphysics [1991], p.299), quoted by Ian Rumfitt - The Boundary Stones of Thought 1.1
                        A reaction: [compressed wording] This is Dummett explaining why he prefers intuitionistic logic, with its doubts about double negation.