Skip to content
Carmelics
TopicsThinkersChangesContributorsLoading account…

    Carmelics

    A reasoning platform. Break down any belief into clear reasons, explore both sides, and weigh the evidence honestly.

    Navigate

    • Topics
    • Search
    • Recent Changes
    • Contribute
    • How It Works
    • Glossary
    • Thinkers
    • Contributors
    • About
    • Statistics
    • Terms
    • Privacy

    Database

    Statements
    —
    Perspectives
    —
    Topics
    —

    Press ? for keyboard shortcuts

    LoyalLoyalJusticeJustice
    Made withinDC&Austin
    Statements
    321,452
    Perspectives
    108,905
    Topics
    42
    A 'lucky assertion' — asserting a truth one has no reason... — Carmelics
    Home/Philosophy of Language
    HistoryEditSee Inverse

    A 'lucky assertion' — asserting a truth one has no reason to believe — is inappropriate even if the asserted proposition happens to be true.

    Philosophy of LanguageTruth & Knowledge
    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.The speaker has no reason to believe the cat was stolen.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.Asserting 'I don't have a cat at home' without grounds for that belief would be lying from the speaker's epistemic standpoint.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.Asserting something true that one believes to be false constitutes lying.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Truth is the primary norm of assertion: if what is asserted is true, the assertion achieves its constitutive aim regardless of the speaker's epistemic state.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.Williamson's knowledge norm conflates the pragmatics of responsible assertoric practice with the semantic conditions for assertion's success.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.A lucky true assertion conveys accurate information to hearers, fulfilling assertion's core social function of expanding communal knowledge.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Reason against 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Grice's cooperative principle evaluates assertions by their conversational contribution, not by whether the speaker possesses justified belief in what they assert.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.If a lucky assertion is true and relevant, it violates no Gricean maxim, making the charge of impropriety a confusion of epistemic virtue with communicative norm.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Sign in or register to share your perspective on this statement.

    Next step

    Based on where you are in your exploration

    Strongest counterpoint
    Explore the most compelling reason on the other side.

    Topics

    Philosophy of LanguageTruth & Knowledge

    Related

    A lucky true assertion conveys accurate information to hearers, fulfilling asser...Asserting 'I don't have a cat at home' without grounds for that belief would be ...Asserting something true that one believes to be false constitutes lying.Grice's cooperative principle evaluates assertions by their conversational contr...
    +5 moreShow less
    If a lucky assertion is true and relevant, it violates no Gricean maxim, making ...Lying is an inappropriate speech act.The speaker has no reason to believe the cat was stolen.Truth is the primary norm of assertion: if what is asserted is true, the asserti...Williamson's knowledge norm conflates the pragmatics of responsible assertoric p...

    Similar

    KNA (Knowledge Norm of Assertion) does not adequately explain why unlu...80%Accidental or lucky true belief does not constitute knowledge.79%By the Knowledge Norm of Assertion (KNA), an assertion is proper only ...79%We can find no true assertion without there being a sufficient reason ...78%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: assertion
    View source passageHide passage
    Unbeknownst to you, however, some thieves broke into your house and stole everything you have, including your cat. Since you could not possibly have foreseen the eventuality of such an absurd theft, it seems that your assertion is appropriate: in response to your friend’s question, (32) is simply the right thing to say. However, (KNA) and (TNA) give a different verdict: they predict that (32) is an inappropriate response. What’s more, (TNA) (but not (KNA)) predicts that the appropria
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit