more from Alfred Tarski

Single Idea 13336

[catalogued under 5. Theory of Logic / I. Semantics of Logic / 1. Semantics of Logic]

Full Idea

People have not been aware that the language about which we speak need by no means coincide with the language in which we speak. ..But the language which contains its own semantics must inevitably be inconsistent.

Gist of Idea

A language containing its own semantics is inconsistent - but we can use a second language

Source

Alfred Tarski (The Establishment of Scientific Semantics [1936], p.402)

Book Reference

Tarski,Alfred: 'Logic, Semantics, Meta-mathematics' [Hackett 1956], p.402


A Reaction

It seems that Tarski was driven to propose the metalanguage approach mainly by the Liar Paradox.