Arguments Regarding The Semantic Truth of Vacuously True Logical Statements
This is a complex question and, for simplicity of exposition, we will here consider only vacuous truth as concerns logical implication, i.e., the case when has the form, and is false. This case strikes many people as odd, and it is not immediately obvious whether all such statements are true, all such statements are false, or some are true while others are false.
Read more about this topic: Vacuous Truth
Famous quotes containing the words arguments, semantic, truth, true, logical and/or statements:
“Nothing requires a greater effort of thought than arguments to justify the rule of non-thought.”
—Milan Kundera (b. 1929)
“Watt’s need of semantic succour was at times so great that he would set to trying names on things, and on himself, almost as a woman hats.”
—Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
“As there is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it, so reasonable arguments, challenges to magnanimity, and appeals to sympathy or justice, are folly when we are dealing with human crocodiles and boa-constrictors.”
—William James (1842–1910)
“Moreover, the slogan “highbrows and lowbrows, unite!”, which he had spouted already, is all wrong since true highbrows are highbrows because they do not unite.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)
“Philosophy aims at the logical clarification of thoughts. Philosophy is not a body of doctrine but an activity. A philosophical work consists essentially of elucidations.”
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)
“Dogmatic theological statements are neither logical propositions nor poetic utterances. They are “shaggy dog” stories; they have a point, but he who tries too hard to get it will miss it.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)