[lit-ideas] Re: "The African Language" (Was: Julie's Query)

Le 31 juil. 04, =E0 08:14, Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx a =E9crit :

>>
>
> I suppose it must be an 'implicature', rather than an 'implication'=20
> (note
> that Chase freely uses 'imply', and 'implies'), for Julie was asking=20=

> about _the_
>  African language, when she possibly meant _any_ African language.
>
> The logical form of a 'the' ascription was identified long ago by=20
> Russell
> ("The king of France is bald"). In a world where there is _no_ king of=20=

> France,
> the 'the' form and the 'the'-less form are equivalent ("Kings of=20
> France are
> bald").

M.C. Not really. The statements "Kings of France are bald"  and "The=20
king of France is bald" may be equivalent *from a truth-functional=20
viewpoint*, because they are both predications. However, not even=20
Russell would have been wacko enough to suggest, as jlsperanza does,=20
that the latter of these phrases implies that "something like the king=20=

of France exists". Predication is one thing, existence another.=20
Likewise, you cannot get from =93African languages are x", to "there=20
exists something like the African language", anymore than you can get=20
from the true proposition "all unicorns are white" to the false=20
propositions  "unicorns exist" or "some unicorn exists".
>
> Best, MC



> Michael Chase
(goya@xxxxxxxxxxx)
CNRS UPR 76
7, rue Guy Moquet
Villejuif 94801
France

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