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    Propositions are abstract, necessary existents that essen... — Carmelics
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    Home/Philosophy of Language
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    Propositions are abstract, necessary existents that essentially and primitively represent the world as being a certain way, without any explanation being possible for this fact.

    Philosophy of LanguageTruth & Knowledge
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    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Propositions are abstract objects that exist necessarily.
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    • 2.Propositions essentially represent the world as being a certain way — this is a primitive, inexplicable fact about them.
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    • 3.Propositions are simple and have no constituents.
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
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    • 1.Representation is an intentional relation requiring a representing subject or functional role, not an intrinsic property of abstract objects (Searle, Brentano).
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    • 2.An abstract object with no causal powers or constituents cannot bear genuine intentionality without invoking explanatorily vacuous 'primitive' stipulation.
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    • 3.If representation requires no explanation for abstract propositions, the same move would trivially dissolve the mind-body problem by stipulating mental states 'primitively represent'.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
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    • 1.Structured proposition theories (Russell, Soames, King) demonstrate that propositional unity and content derive from constituency relations among objects and properties.
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    • 2.If propositions have no constituents (P3), they cannot account for the compositionality of meaning, since 'snow is white' and 'grass is white' must differ structurally.
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    • 3.King's 2014 argument establishes that propositional representation is grounded in facts about language use and cognitive agents, not in primitively representational simples.
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    Philosophy of LanguageTruth & Knowledge

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    Related

    An abstract object with no causal powers or constituents cannot bear genuine int...If propositions have no constituents (P3), they cannot account for the compositi...If representation requires no explanation for abstract propositions, the same mo...King's 2014 argument establishes that propositional representation is grounded i...
    +5 moreShow less
    Propositions are abstract objects that exist necessarily.Propositions are simple and have no constituents.Propositions essentially represent the world as being a certain way — this is a ...Representation is an intentional relation requiring a representing subject or fu...Structured proposition theories (Russell, Soames, King) demonstrate that proposi...

    Similar

    Propositions are abstract objects that exist necessarily.84%Propositions are abstract and representational (they represent the way...83%Conventional existence is constituted by things having intrinsic and u...80%Propositions essentially represent the world as being a certain way — ...80%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: propositions-structured
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    Above it was mentioned that King [2007] and subsequent work endorsed three novel claims about propositions. Two of these are: (i) theories according to which propositions have truth conditions and so represent the world as being a certain way by their very natures and independently of minds and languages are mysterious and to be rejected; (ii) an adequate theory of propositions must explain how\why propositions have truth conditions and so represent the world as being a certain way.[24] It was
    Extraction notes

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

    Details

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