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Proposition
Definition:
A proposition is an assertion that something is the
case. We use sentences to express propositions.
Examples:
- The following sentences express the same proposition:
- Il pleut.
- Esta llooviendo.
- It is raining.
- Es regnet.
- The following sentences express the same proposition:
- John loves Mary.
- Mary is loved by John.
Discussion:
It makes sense to think of a proposition as being the
meaning of a sentence. The meaning of a sentence
has several components:
- denotation: the state of affairs in the world
that the sentence holds to be the case.
- connotation: the feelings, ideas or emotions
evoked in the reader by the sentence.
- emphasis: the relative importance the writer
ascribes to different elements in the sentence.
For example, in the sentence "The fire raged down the
hill" the denotation of the sentence is the assertion
that there is a fire buring on a hill and moving down
the hill. The connotation is that this is something
to be feared (the word "rage" implies anger or danger).
The emphasis in this sentence is the fire itself; had
we written the same sentence "Down the hill raged the
fire" the emphasis would be on the hill.
Philosophers argue a lot about meaning. Some say that
the meaning is the denotation only, some say it is a
combination of denotation and connotation only, while
others (including myself) say it is all three.
References
13 August 1996
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