Single Idea 19171

[catalogued under 3. Truth / F. Semantic Truth / 2. Semantic Truth]

Full Idea

Tarski's definition of truth is like giving a definition of what it is to win in various games, without giving a hint as to what winning is (e.g. that it is what one tries to do when playing).

Gist of Idea

Tarski's truth is like rules for winning games, without saying what 'winning' means

Source

report of Michael Dummett (Truth [1959]) by Donald Davidson - Truth and Predication 7

Book Reference

Davidson,Donald: 'Truth and Predication' [Belknap Harvard 2005], p.151


A Reaction

This led Dummett to his 'normative' account of truth. Formally, the fact that speakers usually aim at truth seems irrelevant, but in life you certainly wouldn't have grasped truth if you thought falsehood was just as satisfactory. The world is involved.