Why is it so much trouble to communicate well? I mean will we have to "diagram" every time we speak?? I don't think so!! As we practice these formulas, over time we will get better and faster at them. We will be able to spot whether a claim is true or false and "how it is compounded from other claims." How compound claims use the words (and, or not if...then...) "depends on the truth or falsity (truth-value) of the claims from which they are built." We are not to rely on anything else except "whether the claim is true or false and how it is compounded from other claims." (Epstein, p. 359)
The symbols used for these words are ˄ for and, ˅ for or, ┐for not, and → for if…then…
Example, Jill is a girl and John is a boy. When is this true? When both are true. According to Epstein, this is the only way it can be true. Epstein p.360.
A personal example is Mary is a classical pianist and Johnny is a tenor. Based on my personal experience, I know both of these statements to be true. The only way this can be true is when both statements are true and in this case they are.
Thanks for your comment.
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