What is a proposition?
Q: What is a proposition?
A: A proposition is a statement which has a truth value, meaning it can be proved to be true or false. It must be possible to prove the proposition is either true or false for it to be valid.
Q: How are propositions represented?
A: Propositions are often represented by capital letters such as P, Q and R.
Q: Can two different propositions mean the same thing?
A: Yes, when two different propositions mean the same thing they are said to be synonymous. For example, "Snow is white" (in English) and "Schnee ist weiß" (in German) have the same meaning even though they are written in different languages.
Q: What kind of sentence does Aristotelian logic use for a proposition?
A: In Aristotelian logic, a proposition is a specific kind of sentence that confirms or denies an action or predicate took place through a subject. Examples include "All men are mortal" and "Socrates is a man".
Q: What does logical positivism say about propositions whose truth value cannot be decided?
A: Logical positivism states that propositions whose truth value cannot possibly be decided are meaningless. For example, statements about the existence of deities cannot be proved under logical positivism so these statements would have no logical meaning according to this theory.
