On “truth”: Wolfgang Künne (Hamburg) and Keith Simmons (Connecticut)

“Is the truth operator (propositionally) redundant? Reflections on Bolzano and Frege” and “Semantic singularities”

A collaboration of the Department of Philosophy and the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, organized by Richard Moore.

Program

14.00–15.45 Talk and discussion
Wolfgang Künne (Hamburg): “Is the truth operator (propositionally) redundant? Reflections on Bolzano and Frege” 15.45–16.00 Coffee 16.00–17.45 Talk and discussion
Keith Simmons (Connecticut): “Semantic singularities”
The paper focuses on the semantic paradoxes about truth, reference and predication. I argue for a singularity approach to these paradoxes. One main claim is that the expressions ‘true’, ‘denotes’ and ‘extension’ are context-sensitive. The second main claim, suggested by a tantalizing remark of Gödel’s, is that these expressions apply everywhere except for certain singularities, where their application breaks down. I go on to explore the consequences of this approach for the deflationary view of our semantic expressions. 17.45–18.00 Closing remarks

Location

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Berlin School of Mind and Brain
Luisenstraße 56
10117 Berlin
Room 144 (ground floor) All are welcome.

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