back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 16298

[from 'Axiomatic Theories of Truth' by Volker Halbach, in 19. Language / D. Propositions / 4. Mental Propositions ]

Full Idea

Being able to ascribe the same proposition as a belief to persons who do not have a common language seems to be one of the main reasons to employ propositions.

Gist of Idea

We need propositions to ascribe the same beliefs to people with different languages

Source

Volker Halbach (Axiomatic Theories of Truth [2011], 2)

Book Reference

Halbach,Volker: 'Axiomatic Theories of Truth' [CUP 2011], p.11


A Reaction

Propositions concern beliefs, as well as sentence meanings. I would want to say that a dog and I could believe the same thing, and that is a non-linguistic reason to believe in propositions. Maybe 'translation' cuts out the proposition middleman?