Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Denial and Disagreement

  • Published:
Topoi Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We cast doubts on the suggestion, recently made by Graham Priest, that glut theorists may express disagreement with the assertion of \(A\) by denying \(A\). We show that, if denial is to serve as a means to express disagreement, it must be exclusive, in the sense of being correct only if what is denied is false only. Hence, it can’t be expressed in the glut theorist’s language, essentially for the same reasons why Boolean negation can’t be expressed in such a language either. We then turn to an alternative proposal, recently defended by Beall (in Analysis 73(3):438–445, 2013; Rev Symb Log, 2014), for expressing truth and falsity only, and hence disagreement. According to this, the exclusive semantic status of \(A\), that \(A\) is either true or false only, can be conveyed by adding to one’s theory a shrieking rule of the form \(A \wedge \lnot A \vdash \bot \), where \(\bot \) entails triviality. We argue, however, that the proposal doesn’t work either. The upshot is that glut theorists face a dilemma: they can either express denial, or disagreement, but not both. Along the way, we offer a bilateral logic of exclusive denial for glut theorists—an extension of the logic commonly called \(\mathsf {LP}\).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. We assume, here and throughout, that the disagreement in question isn’t of the faultless kind: at most one between Marc and Lisa can be correct as to whether Dover is North of London.

  2. As is well known, the logic of non-trivial theories containing gluts must be paraconsistent, i.e. it may not validate the principle of explosion \(A \wedge \lnot A \vdash B\). More on this in Sect. 1.

  3. Ripley (2014) calls this the denial equivalence.

  4. For general background on denial in non-classical theories, see Ripley (2011a, Sect. 3).

  5. For general background on \(\mathsf {LP}\), see Asenjo (1966), Asenjo and Tamburino (1975), Priest (1979), Routley (1979), Beall (2009).

  6. Our arguments apply, mutatis mutandis, to paracomplete theories whose logic at least includes the dual of \(\mathsf {LP}\), viz. the Strong Kleene logic \(\mathsf {K3}\) (Kripke 1975; Field 2008). Just like paraconsistent theories postulate (at least) the possibilities of an overlap between truth and falsity, and thus reject \(A \wedge \lnot A \vdash B\), paracomplete theories postulate a gap between truth and falsity, and reject the Law of Excluded Middle \(B \vdash A \vee \lnot A\). Accordingly, paracomplete logicians reject the left-to-right direction of Classical denial: in a paraconsistent framework, the denial of \(A\) is weaker than the assertion of \(\lnot A\) (see Ripley 2014). This raises the problem of expressing disagreement over a ‘gappy’ \(A\). For suppose (1) and (2) are ‘gappy’. Then, by denying (2) Lisa does not express disagreement with Marc’s denial of (2), for both denials can be correct. This raises the question how disagreement, and rejection, can be expressed in a paracomplete setting. For reasons of space, we exclusively focus on the paraconsistent case, although we briefly comment on paracompleteness in the parenthetical remark of Sect. 3.1 below.

  7. The material conditional in \(\mathsf {LP}\) is not detachable (counterexample provided in the main text below). Indeed, Beall et al. (2012) show that \(\mathsf {LP}\) is entirely detachment-free, i.e. it cannot define a detachable connective. Detachment-free glut-theoretic approaches to semantic paradox are discussed in Goodship (1996), and have been recently revamped in Beall (2011).

  8. We make the simplifying assumption that every object on the domain serves as a name of itself. Conjunction, material implication and the universal quantifier are defined the standard way.

  9. More specifically, the set \(\{Tr(\ulcorner {L}\urcorner ) \rightarrow L\), \(Tr(\ulcorner {\lnot L}\urcorner )\), \(\lnot L\}\) may fail to imply \(\lnot Tr(\ulcorner {L}\urcorner )\).

  10. Clauses C1 and C2 involve a a rather objective sense of correctness: the truth (falsity) of a proposition suffices for the correctness of its assertion (denial). The reader is free to interpret C1 and C2 evidentially, e.g. taking evidence for \(A\)’s truth (untruth) to be sufficient for the correct assertion (denial) of \(A\), and modify the logic accordingly (e.g. invalidate the Law of Excluded Middle and other classical principles).

  11. Glut theorists may avoid the problem by restricting some of the standardly accepted structural rules, such as \(\mathsf {Contraction}\) (that if \(\Gamma , A, A \vdash B\), then \(\Gamma , A \vdash B\)). For reasons of space, however, we cannot consider this option here. For some recent substructural approaches to the semantic paradoxes, (see e.g. Shapiro 2011; Zardini 2011; Ripley 2011b). For a recent attempt to create a revenge problem for the substructural theory presented in Zardini (2011), see Murzi (2014).

  12. Accordingly, the obvious interpretation of \(\bot \) is as follows:

    • (\(\bot \)) \(v(\bot ) = 0\).

  13. We’ll return to this point in Sect. 4 below; see especially Sect. 4.1 and fn. 16.

  14. We note in passing that the role of shriek rules is similar to that of the coordination principle \(\mathsf {Coord}_2\) in \(\mathsf {LP}^*\). The latter ensures that \(A\) may not be coherently both asserted and denied, on pain of triviality.

  15. Similarly, asserting \(A \wedge (\lnot A \rightarrow \bot )\) ensures, up to triviality, that it is true only.

  16. There is a second problem. Consider a Curry sentence \(C\) such that \(Tr(\ulcorner {C}\urcorner ) \leftrightarrow (C \rightarrow \bot )\), where \(Tr(x)\) satisfies at least \(Tr\)-I and \(Tr\)-E. If \(C\) were true then \(C \rightarrow \bot \) would also be true; but then, by modus ponens (which holds for Priest’s conditional), it would be possible to derive \(\bot \). The glut theorist is thus forced, on pain of trivialism, to reject \(C\). If \(C\) is rejected, however, \(C \rightarrow \bot \) should also be rejected. But then \(A \rightarrow \bot \) cannot be used to express in general the rejection of \(A\): in order to express the rejection of \(A\), \(A \rightarrow \bot \) must be true (and correctly denied sentences must be false only). As far as we can see, this effectively undermines Priest’s proposal.

  17. It might be thought that a similar objection might be levelled against \(\mathsf {Coord_2}\) within the \(\mathsf {LP}^*\) framework we introduced in Sect. 2. That is, one might argue that, contrary to what \(\mathsf {Coord_2}\) effectively states, there shouldn’t be a logical connection between the joint assertion and denial of \(A\) and \(\bot \). However, it is not obvious that the objection would apply: unlike Priest’s entailment connective, which is intended to express logical consequence, \(\mathsf {LP}^*\)’s consequence relation need not be logical.

  18. The Curry problem we mentioned in footnote 16 above doesn’t obviously arise in the present context, for at least two reasons. First, in order to replicate the relevant Curry-like reasoning, one would have to define a sentence \(Q\) in some sense equivalent to \(Q \vdash \bot \). But, it would seem, such a sentence would be bound to be ungrammatical. To be sure, one could define a sentence \(Q\) equivalent to a sentence to the effect that the argument \(\langle Q \therefore \bot \rangle\) is valid. This would give rise to a validity-involving version of Curry’s Paradox, the v-Curry Paradox (Beall and Murzi 2013). However, Beall rejects one of the key semantic ingredients of the paradox, a rule to the effect that \(A\) and the the claim that the argument \(\langle A \therefore B\rangle\) is valid jointly entail \(B\). This would effectively block the relevant Curry-like reasoning. Second, and relatedly, Beall’s logic \(\mathsf {LP}\) doesn’t enjoy a detachable conditional (see fn. 7 above), which, again, suffices to block the Curry-like reasoning sketched in fn. 16.

  19. To be sure, unlike glut theorists, classical logicians may not express naïve truth, i.e. a notion of truth satisfying (at least) \(Tr\)-I and \(Tr\)-E. But this is how it should be: classical logicians and glut theorists negotiate the trade between consistency (non-triviality) and expressibility at different points.

  20. Beall (2009) argues that truth and truth only really are the same notion, so that both can overlap with falsity and falsity only. But I take the present shrieking proposal to be a change of heart.

References

  • Asenjo FG (1966) A calculus of antinomies. Notre Dame J Formal Log 16:103–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asenjo FG, Tamburino J (1975) Logic of antinomies. Notre Dame J Formal Log 16:17–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beall J (2007) Truth and paradox: a philosophical sketch. In: Jacquette D (ed) Philosophy of logic. Elsevier, Oxford, pp 325–410

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Beall J (2009) Spandrels of truth. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Beall J (2011) Multiple-conclusion LP and default classicality. Rev Symb Log 4(1):326–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beall J (2013) Shrieking against gluts: the solution to the ‘just true’ problem. Analysis 73(3):438–445

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beall J (2014) A simple approach towards recapturing consistent theories in paraconsistent settings. Rev Symb Log (forthcoming)

  • Beall J, Forster T, Seligman J (2012) A note on freedom from detachment in the logic of paradox. Notre Dame J Formal Log (forthcoming)

  • Beall J, Murzi J (2013) Two flavors of curry’s paradox. J Philos CX(3):143–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Boolos G (1971) The iterative conception of set. J Philos 68:215–231 (Reprinted in Boolos, 1998, pp 13–29)

  • Boolos G (1998) Logic, logic, and logic. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Burge T (1979) Individualism and the mental. Midwest Stud Philos 4:73–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burge T (1986) Intellectual norms and foundations of mind. J Philos 85:649–663

    Google Scholar 

  • Colyvan M (2009) Vagueness and truth. In: Dyke H (ed) From truth to reality: new essays in logic and metaphysics. Routledge, Oxford, pp 29–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Dummett M (1959) Truth. In: Proceedings of the aristotelian society 59, 141–162 (Page references are to reprint in, pp 1–25)

  • Field H (2008) Saving truth from paradox. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Glanzberg M (2001) The liar in context. Philos Stud 103(3):217–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodship L (1996) On dialetheism. Aust J Philos 74:153–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harman G (1986) Change in view. Principles of reasoning. MIT Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Humberstone L (2000) The revival of rejective negation. J Philos Log 29:331–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kripke S (1975) Outline of a theory of truth. J Philos 72:690–716

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Littman G (1992) The irrationalist’s paradox. University of Queensland. In: Paper presented at a meeting of the Australasian Association of Philosophy

  • Murzi J (2014) Instability and revenge. Unpublished manuscript

  • Parsons C (1974) The liar paradox. J Philos Log 3(4):381–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons T (1984) Assertion, denial and the liar paradox. J Philos Log 13:136–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priest G (1979) The logic of paradox. J Philos Log 8:219–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priest G (1993) Can contradictions be true? II. Proc Aristot Soc 68:35–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Priest G (1998) What is so bad about contradictions? J Philos 95:410–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priest G (1999) What not? A defence of dialetheic theory of negation. In: Gabbay D, Wansing H (eds) What is negation?. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 101–120

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Priest G (2006a) Doubt truth to be a liar. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Priest G (2006b) In contradiction. Oxford University Press, Oxford (Expanded edition, first published 1987 Kluwer-Dordrecht)

  • Priest G (2010a) Hopes fade for saving truth. Philosophy 85:109–140 (Critical notice of Field (2008))

  • Priest G (2010b) Inclosures, vagueness, and self-reference. Notre Dame J Formal Log 51:69–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ripley D (2011a) Negation, denial and rejection. Philos Compass 9:622–629

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ripley D (2011b) Paradoxes and failures of cut. Aust J Philos (forthcoming)

  • Ripley D (2014) Embedding denial. In: Hjortland OT, Caret C (eds) Forthcoming in foundations of logical consequence. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Routley R (1979) Dialectical logic, semantics and metamathematics. Erkenntnis 14:301–331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rumfitt I (2000) Yes” and “No. Mind 109:781–824

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro L (2011) Deflating logical consequence. Philos Quart 61:320–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smiley T (1996) Rejection. Analysis 56(1):1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weber Z (2010) A paraconsistent model of vagueness. Mind 119:1026–1045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zardini E (2011) Truth without contra(di)ction. Rev Symb Log 4:498–535

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The first author is grateful to the British Academy, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the School of European Culture and languages at the University of Kent, and the University of Padua for generous financial support during the time this paper was written. We wish to thank Salvatore Florio, Graham Priest, and the audience of a workshop at the University of Padua for helpful feedback and discussion, and Jc Beall, Pablo Cobreros, Dave Ripley, and two referees for very helpful comments on earlier drafts. Special thanks to Enrico Martino for many enjoyable conversations on denial, dialetheism and semantic paradox.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of European Culture and Language, University of Kent, Cornwallis North West, CT2 7NF, Canterbury, Kent, UK

    Julien Murzi

  2. Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, Ludwigstrasse 31, 80539, Munich , Germany

    Julien Murzi

  3. Section of Philosophy, FISPPA Department, University of Padua, Piazza Capitaniato 3, 35139, Padua, Italy

    Massimiliano Carrara

Authors
  1. Julien Murzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Massimiliano Carrara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julien Murzi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Murzi, J., Carrara, M. Denial and Disagreement. Topoi 34, 109–119 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-014-9278-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-014-9278-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation