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Single Idea 9371

[from 'Two Dogmas of Empiricism' by Willard Quine, in 19. Language / E. Analyticity / 1. Analytic Propositions ]

Full Idea

Analytic statements fall into two classes: 'no unmarried man is married' typifies the first class, of logical truths; it remains true under all reinterpretations. 'No bachelor is married' is analytic if synonyms replace synonyms, and there's the problem.

Gist of Idea

Analytic statements are either logical truths (all reinterpretations) or they depend on synonymy

Source

Willard Quine (Two Dogmas of Empiricism [1953], §1)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'From a Logical Point of View' [Harper and Row 1963], p.22


A Reaction

Boghossian emphasises this passage. In other papers Quine argues that logical truths also cannot be purely analytic, although he does not deny that there are logical truths.