more from Alfred Tarski

Single Idea 19183

[catalogued under 3. Truth / F. Semantic Truth / 1. Tarski's Truth / a. Tarski's truth definition]

Full Idea

In 'X is true iff p' if we replace X by the name of a sentence and p by a particular sentence this can be considered a partial definition of truth. The whole definition has to be ...a logical conjunction of all these partial definitions.

Gist of Idea

Each interpreted T-sentence is a partial definition of truth; the whole definition is their conjunction

Source

Alfred Tarski (The Semantic Conception of Truth [1944], 04)

Book Reference

'Semantics and the Philosophy of Language', ed/tr. Linsky,Leonard [University of Illinois 1972], p.16


A Reaction

This seems an unprecedented and odd way to define something. Define 'red' by '"This tomato is red" iff this tomato is red', etc? Define 'stone' by collecting together all the stones? The complex T-sentences are infinite in number.

Related Idea

Idea 19096 Disquotationalism resembles a telephone directory [Misak]