Philosophy Dictionary of Arguments

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Propositional knowledge, philosophy: the knowledge of whether certain propositions are true or false in contrast to a knowledge-how or possessing an ability. A problem with propositional knowledge are indexical theorems because the determination of the truth value (true or false) is context-dependent and situation-dependent here. See also propositions, opacity, example of the two omniscient Gods.
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Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments.

 
Author Concept Summary/Quotes Sources

Michael E. Dummett on Propositional Knowledge - Dictionary of Arguments

II 69ff
Propositional Knowledge/Meaning Theory/Dummett: even representation of a practical ability is propositional knowledge. >Representation
, >Propositions.
- - -
III (b) 62f
Knowledge/Dummett: That the murderer is on the roof, is not knowledge-who. - All predictive knowledge is based on propositional knowledge, because all theoretical knowledge is propositional. - Attribution of knowledge never grasps the whole knowledge of the subject.
Difference: to know the truth of a sentence/knowledge of the corresponding proposition. ((s) the fact).
E.g. "That the earth is moving is true" is not the knowledge that the earth rotates. - Reason: there is also simple translation knowledge: the Earth moves = "la terra si muove".
III (b) 68
Language/Propositional Knowledge/Dummett: usually there is little difference between knowledge of the proposition and knowledge of the truth of the sentence. - But propositional knowledge is not sufficient for language proficiency. - Propositional knowledge is not sufficient for word understanding. - Knowledge of a single proposition is not sufficient for understanding of words. - ((s) The word must be able to appear in several contexts.) - ((s) That is the converse to the substitution principle.)
- - -
III (c) 106
Propositional Knowledge/Dummett: propositional knowledge is necessary to explain what the knowledge of the meaning consists of. - Knowledge that ... "the earth moves".
III (c) 109
But also the proposition as such cannot play a role in the explanation of understanding (circular).
III (c) 108
Understanding/Meaning/Propositional Knowledge: E.g. Kripke: "horses are called horses": those who know how to use "being called" must know that the sentence is true, even if he does not know what horses are. - However, then he would not know what truth is expressed by this; he does not know the proposition, he has no propositional knowledge.
Understanding: not only knowledge that a sentence is true, but knowledge of the proposition - (but not necessary for knowing the truth).
III (c) 111
Meaning theory/Dummett: the sense of it to show the correct derivation of consciousness of a truth.
III (c) 112
Davidson: from capturing the axioms.
Special case: "Homer denotes Homer": here one has to know that Homer refers to something.
III (c) 113
DummettVs: not in order to know the meaning of "Homer" in our language.
III (c) 117
Propositional Knowledge/DummettVsDavidson: Those who do not know what "the Earth" means learn something from the postulate "the Earth denotes the Earth": they learn that "the Earth" is a singular term. - But for meaning it is not sufficient to say that this is an axiom of English. - You need knowledge of the proposition.
>Knowledge.
III (c) 133
Propositional Knowledge/Dummett: logical form: "X knows that b is F" or "X knows that the Gs are F" - here the subject of the that-sentence stands within the opaque context of the that-sentence itself. >That-Clauses.

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Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments
The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition.

Dummett I
M. Dummett
The Origins of the Analytical Philosophy, London 1988
German Edition:
Ursprünge der analytischen Philosophie Frankfurt 1992

Dummett II
Michael Dummett
"What ist a Theory of Meaning?" (ii)
In
Truth and Meaning, G. Evans/J. McDowell, Oxford 1976

Dummett III
M. Dummett
Wahrheit Stuttgart 1982

Dummett III (a)
Michael Dummett
"Truth" in: Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 59 (1959) pp.141-162
In
Wahrheit, Michael Dummett, Stuttgart 1982

Dummett III (b)
Michael Dummett
"Frege’s Distiction between Sense and Reference", in: M. Dummett, Truth and Other Enigmas, London 1978, pp. 116-144
In
Wahrheit, , Stuttgart 1982

Dummett III (c)
Michael Dummett
"What is a Theory of Meaning?" in: S. Guttenplan (ed.) Mind and Language, Oxford 1975, pp. 97-138
In
Wahrheit, Michael Dummett, Stuttgart 1982

Dummett III (d)
Michael Dummett
"Bringing About the Past" in: Philosophical Review 73 (1964) pp.338-359
In
Wahrheit, Michael Dummett, Stuttgart 1982

Dummett III (e)
Michael Dummett
"Can Analytical Philosophy be Systematic, and Ought it to be?" in: Hegel-Studien, Beiheft 17 (1977) S. 305-326
In
Wahrheit, Michael Dummett, Stuttgart 1982


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Ed. Martin Schulz, access date 2024-04-28
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