Concepts as Involving Laws and Inconceivable Without Them

Bibliographic Data

ID10706367
AuthorsWilfrid Sellars (University of Minnesota System, corresponding author)
Year1948
Volume15
Issue4
Pages287-315
Publication date1948-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePhilosophy of Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0031-8248 • E-ISSN: 1539-767X
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1086/286997
OpenAlexW2031545868
LanguageEN
Citations received29

Formal implication is usually represented by symbolization such as ‘(x) φ x ⊃ Ψx,’ which may be read, “for all values of ‘x’, φ x (materially) implies Ψx.” If the values of the variable ‘x’, in ‘φ x’ and ‘Ψx’ be ‘x 1 ’ ‘x 2 ’ ‘x 3 ’, etc., then ... ‘ φ x’ formally implies ‘Ψx’ if and only if, whatever values of ‘x’, ‘x n ’, be chosen, ‘ φ x n ’ materially implies ‘Ψx n ’ ... However, this still leaves it doubtful which of two possible interpretations of expressions having the form ‘(x) φ x ⊃ Ψx’ is to be taken as correct. ... It means one thing to say, “Every existent having the property φ ... has also the property Ψ,” and it means quite a different thing to say, “Every thinkable thing which should have the property φ must also have the property Ψ.” The second of these holds only when having the properly φ logically entails having the property Ψ; when ‘ Ψ x’ is deductible from ‘φx’ . ... The first of them, however, holds not only in such cases ... but also in every case where among existent things, one property is universally accompanied by another. (C. I. Lewis, An Analysis of Knowledge and Evaluation , pp. 217–8. I am responsible for the italicizing of the sentence, otherwise the italics follow Lewis.)

Epistemology · Linguistics · Mathematical economics · Political science · Property (philosophy) · Sentence · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Law · Mathematics · Philosophy · Philosophy and Theoretical Science · Philosophy, Science, and History

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