Proposition

From The Practical Ontology & Compendium of Social Cohesion

Definition: As used herein, a Proposition is a defensible Declarative Sentence(s) uttered or written by a Person about an Aspect of Reality whether it turns out to be True or False. Commentary Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Dedicated to the proposition that All men are created equal Everything a Person can think, say or write about Reality in a Declarative Sentence is a Proposition if it is defensible, i.e., not silly. Some philosophers have more sophisticated ways of talking about Reality. For them, to say "a Proposition is a defensible Declarative Sentence(s)" would be too simple. (See Wikipedia articles on "proposition" and "truth-bearer.") Nevertheless, for Purposes of this Compendium and Glossary, the above definition is good enough. Argument Here is a famous instance when "proposition" was used in the way we mean it here - “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” (For the complete text and an audio recording, click Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.) Stating Propositions and responding to them is how we navigate through life. "It's going to rain today." That statement is a Proposition. In light of it, the speaker takes an umbrella. Another large part of how we navigate through life is imaging and thinking about things which may range from fantasy to disciplined thinking about a Solution to a Problem. When a Person gets to a point in his or her thinking of saying, "I think 'X' is the Solution to 'Y,' then he or she is stating a Proposition. Here are two more examples of "defensible statements." Before the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, our government defended the Proposition, "Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction." After months of the United States forces searching the territory of Iraq and not finding any weapons of mass destruction, many Americans came to Believe the Proposition, "Before we invaded Iraq, Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction..." And some Americans would add, "... and some of the advisers to the President of the United States knew that Saddam did not have them but wanted to invade Iraq for other unstated reasons." Here are two final examples of Propositions - "When I let go of this apple, it will fall to the ground." That is a Proposition. Here is the final one - A husband says to his wife, "I love you." Cross references See dictionary definition of "proposition"

Related terms: Aspect | Declarative Sentence | Person | Reality | Thesis | True | False



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