Single Idea 9869

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 2. Realism]

Full Idea

Fully fledged realism depends on - indeed, may be identified with - an undiluted application to sentences of the relevant kind of straightforwards two-valued semantics.

Clarification

'Two-valued' semantics just recognises True or False

Gist of Idea

Realism is just the application of two-valued semantics to sentences

Source

Michael Dummett (Frege philosophy of mathematics [1991], Ch.15)

Book Reference

Dummett,Michael: 'Frege: philosophy of mathematics' [Duckworth 1991], p.198


A Reaction

This is the sort of account you get from a whole-heartedly linguistic philosopher. Personally I would say that Dummett has got it precisely the wrong way round: I adopt a two-valued semantics because my metaphysics is realist.