Notes Dictated to G.E. Moore in Norway: Difference between revisions

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Th ''Bedeutung'' of a proposition is the fact that corresponds to  it, e.g., if our proposition be "aRb", if it's true, the corresponding fact would be the fact aRb, if false, the fact ~aRb. ''But'' both "the fact aRb" and "the fact ~aRb" are incomplete symbols, which must be analysed.
Th ''Bedeutung'' of a proposition is the fact that corresponds to  it, e.g., if our proposition be "aRb", if it's true, the corresponding fact would be the fact aRb, if false, the fact ~aRb. ''But'' both "the fact aRb" and "the fact ~aRb" are incomplete symbols, which must be analysed.


That a proposition has a relation (in wide sense) to Reality,  other 0an that of  ''Bedeutung,'' is shewn  by the fact that you can understand it when you don't know the ''Bedeutung'', i.e. don't know whether it is true or false. Let us express this by saying "It has ''sense"'' (''Sinn'')''.''
That a proposition has a relation (in wide sense) to Reality,  other than that of  ''Bedeutung,'' is shewn  by the fact that you can understand it when you don't know the ''Bedeutung'', i.e. don't know whether it is true or false. Let us express this by saying "It has ''sense"'' (''Sinn'')''.''


In analysing ''Bedeutung,'' you come upon ''Sinn'' as follows: We want to explain the relation of propositions  to reality.
In analysing ''Bedeutung,'' you come upon ''Sinn'' as follows: We want to explain the relation of propositions  to reality.
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It only remains to fix the method of comparison by saying ''what'' about our simples is to ''say'' what about reality. E.g., suppose we take two lines  of unequal length: and say that the fact that the shorter  is of the length it is is to mean that the longer is of the length ''it'' is. We should then have established a convention as to the meaning of the shorter, of the sort we are now to give.
It only remains to fix the method of comparison by saying ''what'' about our simples is to ''say'' what about reality. E.g., suppose we take two lines  of unequal length: and say that the fact that the shorter  is of the length it is is to mean that the longer is of the length ''it'' is. We should then have established a convention as to the meaning of the shorter, of the sort we are now to give.
From this it results that "true" and "false" are not accidental properties of a proposition, such that, when it has  meaning, we can say it is also true or false: on the contrary,  to  have meaning  ''means '' to be true or false: the being true or false actually constitutes the relation of the proposition to reality, which we mean by saying that it has meaning (''Sinn'')''.''
There seems at first sight to be a certain ambiguity in what is meant by saying that a proposition is "true", owing to the fact  that it seems  as if, in the case of different propositions, the way in which they correspond to the facts to which they correspond  is quite different.  But what is really common to all cases is that they must have ''the general form of a proposition.'' In giving the general  form  of a  proposition you are explaining what kind of ways of putting together the symbols of things and relations will correspond to (be analogous to) the things having those relations in reality. In doing thus you are saying what is meant by saying that a proposition is true; and you  must do it  once for all. To say "This proposition ''has sense''"'' ''means '"This proposition is true" means ... .' ("p" is true = "p" . p. Def. : only  instead of "p" we must here introduce the general form of a proposition.)<ref>The reader should remember that according to Wittgenstein '"p"' is not a name but a description of the fact constituting the proposition. See above, p. 109. [''Edd''.]</ref>


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