Attribution: The ideas from this lesson come from Logic by Hurley, 10E.

Statement

A statement is a sentence that is either true or false.

Proposition

A proposition is the information content of a statement.

Similarities and Differences

Similarities:

1. Semantic Content: Both propositions and statements convey semantic content, meaning that they express some information or convey a message.

2. Truth Value: Both propositions and statements can be evaluated in terms of their truth value. They can be either true or false.

Differences:

1. Definition:
   • A proposition is the information content of a statement. It represents the underlying meaning or message that a statement conveys. Propositions are often abstracted from specific sentences to focus solely on their truth value.
   • A statement is a sentence that is either true or false. Statements are concrete linguistic expressions that can be written or spoken.
2. Nature:
   • A proposition is an abstract entity. It exists independently of language and can be thought of as the meaning or idea behind a statement.
   • A statement is a concrete linguistic entity. It is the specific arrangement of words that can be written or spoken.
3. Examples:
   • Proposition: “The Earth orbits the Sun.” This proposition conveys the idea that the Earth’s motion involves orbiting the Sun. It can be represented by various statements in different languages.
   • Statement: “The Earth orbits the Sun.” This is a specific sentence in English that can be evaluated as either true or false based on the facts about the Earth’s motion.
4. Variability:
   • Propositions can be expressed through multiple statements in different languages or forms. For example, the proposition “It is raining” can be expressed as “Il pleut” in French or “Está lloviendo” in Spanish.
   • Statements are specific linguistic expressions and can vary in their wording and structure while conveying the same proposition. For example, “It’s raining cats and dogs” and “Heavy rain is falling” can both express the same proposition.

In summary, propositions are the abstract informational content that can be conveyed by statements, while statements are concrete sentences that can be evaluated as either true or false and serve as the carriers of propositions. Propositions are universal and language-independent, while statements are specific and language-dependent.