Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 3, 2022

 

An Interpretation of Truthmaking: Connecting Language to the World

(Abstract)

 

Ye Chuang

 

How language is related to the real world, so that the truth of the real world expressed in language is guaranteed to some extent? The emerging truthmaker theory concerns directly with the issue of how beings in the world make statements of language true. In truthmaker semantics, a simple binary image of relations based on some intuitive understanding is simply an approach that helps in the design of a semantic model or a perspective for considering abstract relations between utterances and models; it does not in itself give rise to philosophical problems. However, in truthmaker metaphysics, image-like theoretical thinking can lead to a philosophical misunderstanding of truthmaking concepts and truthmaker theory. The new understanding of truthmaking concepts is based on the claim that there is no direct correspondence between a true statement and its metaphysical truthmaker that is ready-made or that precedes the interpretation of truthmaking account. The semantic and metaphysical items that enter into the truthmaking account are constructed in the process of interpretation and are related through it. Thus, “truthmaking” (in its metaphysical aspect) is not a simple binary relation in the traditional sense, but an “enterprise” made possible by multiple interpretive acts (including the use of semantic interpretations of truthmaker semantics) embedded in multiple relations.