Understanding_the_Logical_Constants_and_Dispositions.pdf (162.56 kB)
Understanding the logical constants and dispositions to infer
Version 2 2023-06-12, 06:36
Version 1 2023-06-08, 22:13
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 06:36 authored by Corine BessonCorine BessonMany philosophers claim that understanding a logical constant (e.g. ‘if, then’) fundamentally consists in having dispositions to infer according to the logical rules (e.g. Modus Ponens) that fix its meaning. This paper argues that such dispositionalist accounts give us the wrong picture of what understanding a logical constant consists in. The objection here is that they give an account of understanding a logical constant which is inconsistent with what seem to be adequate manifestations of such understanding. I then outline an alternative account according to which understanding a logical constant is not to be understood dispositionally, but propositionally. I argue that this account is not inconsistent with intuitively correct manifestations of understanding the logical constants.
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Publication status
- Published
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- Published version
Journal
The Baltic International Yearbook of Cognition, Logic and CommunicationISSN
1944-3676Publisher
New Prairie Press PublishingExternal DOI
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5Page range
1-24Department affiliated with
- Philosophy Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2015-08-25First Open Access (FOA) Date
2015-08-25First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2015-08-25Usage metrics
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