[lit-ideas] Re: Notting or not
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 4 Dec 2013 11:17:40 -0500 (EST)
A similar consideration to the points raised by McEvoy and JRB may be made:
Phatic's original example involved:
i. Pierre does not believe that it is raining.
ii. Pierre believes that it is not raining.
If we compare this with Russell ("On Denoting", as criticised by Grice,
"Presupposition and Conversational Implicature"), we may replace Pierre by
"The king of France" (as in "The non-existent King of France is not bald" --
example by Grice, adapted from Russell).
iii. The king of France does not believe that it is raining; since there is
no king of France.
On the other hand, ii, like
iv. The king of France believes that it is not raining,
do entail the existence of the referent of the sentential subject.
I shouldn't be surprised if, among the many names, I expect, of the "King
of France", was "Pierre". Or not.
Cheers,
Speranza
----
In a message dated 12/4/2013 8:11:21 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
"Would it help to say this question is the same (given "Pierre notes that
it is raining" is the same in both formulations and may be 'cancelled
out') as asking whether "Pierre doesn't believe it's raining" is the same as
"Pierre believes that it's not raining"?
And this is to ask whether "X doesn't believe p" is equivalent to "X
believes non-p".
And might it help to add that, while in many cases these expressions may
be interchangeable, we might draw a subtle distinction viz. when "X doesn't
believe p" that doesn't necessarily mean "X believes non-p" - for it may be
"X doesn't believe p or non-p" i.e. even if X believes "p or non-p" must
be true, X may not have belief that p is actually true or that non-p is
actually true. He may believe one of them must be true but have no belief as
to
which one is true. In this way "X doesn't believe p" is not equivalent to
"X believes non-p" and nor does it entail it.
However, in many cases when "X doesn't believe p" that is because "X
believes non-p", and this may explain why the terms are often interchangeable."
Phatic: "Is there a (relevant) difference between "Pierre notes that it is
raining and Pierre doesn't believe it's raining" and "Pierre notes that it
is raining and Pierre believes that it's not raining".
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
