19125
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If we define truth, we can eliminate it [Halbach/Leigh]
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Full Idea:
If truth can be explicitly defined, it can be eliminated.
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From:
Halbach,V/Leigh,G.E. (Axiomatic Theories of Truth (2013 ver) [2013], 1.3)
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A reaction:
That we could just say p corresponds to the facts, or p coheres with our accepted beliefs, or p is the aim of our enquiries, and never mention the word 'true'. Definition is a strategy for reduction or elimination.
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19127
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The T-sentences are deductively weak, and also not deductively conservative [Halbach/Leigh]
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Full Idea:
Although the theory is materially adequate, Tarski thought that the T-sentences are deductively too weak. …Also it seems that the T-sentences are not conservative, because they prove in PA that 0=0 and ¬0=0 are different, so at least two objects exist.
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From:
Halbach,V/Leigh,G.E. (Axiomatic Theories of Truth (2013 ver) [2013], 3.2)
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A reaction:
They are weak because they can't prove completeness. This idea give two reasons for looking for a better theory of truth.
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19124
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A natural theory of truth plays the role of reflection principles, establishing arithmetic's soundness [Halbach/Leigh]
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Full Idea:
If a natural theory of truth is added to Peano Arithmetic, it is not necessary to add explicity global reflection principles to assert soundness, as the truth theory proves them. Truth theories thus prove soundess, and allows its expression.
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From:
Halbach,V/Leigh,G.E. (Axiomatic Theories of Truth (2013 ver) [2013], 1.2)
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A reaction:
This seems like a big attraction of axiomatic theories of truth for students of metamathematics.
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19126
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If deflationary truth is not explanatory, truth axioms should be 'conservative', proving nothing new [Halbach/Leigh]
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Full Idea:
If truth does not have any explanatory force, as some deflationists claim, the axioms of truth should not allow us to prove any new theorems that do not involve the truth predicate. That is, a deflationary axiomatisation of truth should be 'conservative'.
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From:
Halbach,V/Leigh,G.E. (Axiomatic Theories of Truth (2013 ver) [2013], 1.3)
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A reaction:
So does truth have 'explanatory force'? These guys are interested in explaining theorems of arithmetic, but I'm more interested in real life. People do daft things because they have daft beliefs. Logic should be neutral, but truth has values?
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19129
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The FS axioms use classical logical, but are not fully consistent [Halbach/Leigh]
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Full Idea:
It is a virtue of the Friedman-Sheard axiomatisation that it is thoroughly classical in its logic. Its drawback is that it is ω-inconsistent. That is, it proves &exists;x¬φ(x), but proves also φ(0), φ(1), φ(2), …
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From:
Halbach,V/Leigh,G.E. (Axiomatic Theories of Truth (2013 ver) [2013], 4.3)
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A reaction:
It seems the theory is complete (and presumably sound), yet not fully consistent. FS also proves the finite levels of Tarski's hierarchy, but not the transfinite levels.
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19130
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KF is formulated in classical logic, but describes non-classical truth, which allows truth-value gluts [Halbach/Leigh]
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Full Idea:
KF is formulated in classical logic, but describes a non-classical notion of truth. It allow truth-value gluts, making some sentences (such as the Liar) both true and not-true. Some authors add an axiom ruling out such gluts.
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From:
Halbach,V/Leigh,G.E. (Axiomatic Theories of Truth (2013 ver) [2013], 4.4)
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A reaction:
[summary, which I hope is correct! Stanford is not wholly clear]
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10648
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Mereology need not be nominalist, though it is often taken to be so [Varzi]
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Full Idea:
While mereology was originally offered with a nominalist viewpoint, resulting in a conception of mereology as an ontologically parsimonious alternative to set theory, there is no necessary link between analysis of parthood and nominalism.
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From:
Achille Varzi (Mereology [2003], 1)
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A reaction:
He cites Lesniewski and Leonard-and-Goodman. Do you allow something called a 'whole' into your ontology, as well as the parts? He observes that while 'wholes' can be concrete, they can also be abstract, if the parts are abstract.
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19121
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We can reduce properties to true formulas [Halbach/Leigh]
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Full Idea:
One might say that 'x is a poor philosopher' is true of Tom instead of saying that Tom has the property of being a poor philosopher. We quantify over formulas instead of over definable properties, and thus reduce properties to truth.
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From:
Halbach,V/Leigh,G.E. (Axiomatic Theories of Truth (2013 ver) [2013], 1.1)
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A reaction:
[compressed] This stuff is difficult (because the axioms are complex and hard to compare), but I am excited (yes!) about this idea. Their point is that you need a truth predicate within the object language for this, which disquotational truth forbids.
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10661
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'Composition is identity' says multitudes are the reality, loosely composing single things [Varzi]
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Full Idea:
The thesis known as 'composition is identity' is that identity is mereological composition; a fusion is just the parts counted loosely, but it is strictly a multitude and loosely a single thing.
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From:
Achille Varzi (Mereology [2003], 4.3)
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A reaction:
[He cites D.Baxter 1988, in Mind] It is not clear, from this simple statement, what the difference is between multitudes that are parts of a thing, and multitudes that are not. A heavy weight seems to hang on the notion of 'composed of'.
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10654
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The parthood relation will help to define at least seven basic predicates [Varzi]
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Full Idea:
With a basic parthood relation, we can formally define various mereological predicates, such as overlap, underlap, proper part, over-crossing, under-crossing, proper overlap, and proper underlap.
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From:
Achille Varzi (Mereology [2003], 2.2)
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A reaction:
[Varzi offers some diagrams, but they need interpretation]
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10647
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Parts may or may not be attached, demarcated, arbitrary, material, extended, spatial or temporal [Varzi]
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Full Idea:
The word 'part' can used whether it is attached, or arbitrarily demarcated, or gerrymandered, or immaterial, or unextended, or spatial, or temporal.
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From:
Achille Varzi (Mereology [2003], 1)
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10649
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'Part' stands for a reflexive, antisymmetric and transitive relation [Varzi]
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Full Idea:
It seems obvious that 'part' stands for a partial ordering, a reflexive ('everything is part of itself'), antisymmetic ('two things cannot be part of each other'), and transitive (a part of a part of a thing is part of that thing) relation.
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From:
Achille Varzi (Mereology [2003], 2.1)
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A reaction:
I'm never clear why the reflexive bit of the relation should be taken as 'obvious', since it seems to defy normal usage and common sense. It would be absurd to say 'I'll give you part of the cake' and hand you the whole of it. See Idea 10651.
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