Negation, denial and falsity: Logic's negative trio. (28th October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hewitt, Simon
• Is Part Of: Ratio. Volume 34:Number 2(2021)
• Page Start: 109
• Page End: 117
• Publication Date: 2020-10-28
• Subjects: denial -- falsity -- logic -- negation -- paraconsistency; Philosophy -- Periodicals; Analysis (Philosophy) -- Periodicals; 105
• DOI: 10.1111/rati.12295
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0034-0006

Abstract

Abstract: Negation, denial and falsity lie at the heart of debates about logic. We set out the classical account of the relationship between negation and denial, owing to Frege and Geach. We then challenge this on the basis that it does not permit an adequate account of falsity. A dialetheic alternative is minuted and criticised before a novel rejectivist account is proposed according to which falsity is the aim of the speech‐act of denial, whilst negation embeds deniability into assertoric contexts.