Scholarlink

<p>I observe a range of cases in which it is possible to suspend belief about whether <i>p</i> and yet lack any degree of subjective uncertainty whether <i>p</i>. Each of these cases concerns a particular kind of predicate, which I call reactive, identified by their being felicitously embeddable under <i>finds</i> in the construction, <i>S finds x R</i>. I show how we can predict these otherwise puzzling observations within a semantic theory of reactive claims on which they are non-factual. I conjecture that non-factual claims only have probabilities when they are determined by probabilities about matters of fact; thus, in certain cases, non-factual claims can fail to be more or less likely true. Two upshots follow. First, it opens a new avenue for exploring how to integrate the language of subjective uncertainty with fine-grained semantic theories such as relativism and expressivism. Second, it suggests a new way to think about the relationship between fact-stating and non-fact stating domains of discourse: the possibility of indecision without uncertainty is a mark of the non-factual.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Uncertainty in the absence of fact

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月3日

查看全文
  • Justin Khoo

摘要

I observe a range of cases in which it is possible to suspend belief about whether p and yet lack any degree of subjective uncertainty whether p. Each of these cases concerns a particular kind of predicate, which I call reactive, identified by their being felicitously embeddable under finds in the construction, S finds x R. I show how we can predict these otherwise puzzling observations within a semantic theory of reactive claims on which they are non-factual. I conjecture that non-factual claims only have probabilities when they are determined by probabilities about matters of fact; thus, in certain cases, non-factual claims can fail to be more or less likely true. Two upshots follow. First, it opens a new avenue for exploring how to integrate the language of subjective uncertainty with fine-grained semantic theories such as relativism and expressivism. Second, it suggests a new way to think about the relationship between fact-stating and non-fact stating domains of discourse: the possibility of indecision without uncertainty is a mark of the non-factual.