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Single Idea 13467

[from 'works' by Gottfried Leibniz, in 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 7. Meaning Holism / a. Sentence meaning ]

Full Idea

Leibniz seems to be the first modern philosopher to focus on sentence-sized units that he called propositions. The Empiricists among the moderns focused on word-sized units like ideas.

Gist of Idea

Leibniz was the first modern to focus on sentence-sized units (where empiricists preferred word-size)

Source

report of Gottfried Leibniz (works [1690]) by William D. Hart - The Evolution of Logic 2

Book Reference

Hart,W.D.: 'The Evolution of Logic' [CUP 2010], p.32


A Reaction

Historically, the sentential logic of the Stoics has a claim to have started this one. I find my initial sympathies to be with the empiricists.

Related Idea

Idea 20787 A proposition is what can be asserted or denied on its own [Chrysippus]