Proposition and predication

Abstract

The central point of the present paper is the subject-predicate construction and its relation to language and metaphysics. The subject-predicate construction constitutes the core of all thinking, the centrepiece of its inner logical development and its relation to the reality. This logic of predication finds its reflection in language, primarily in the form of elementary proposition. For Indo-European languages, the basic predication formula is 'S is P'. According to the hypothesis elaborated here, the perception of this formula as a self-evident core proposition rests on the intuition of limited space. The meaning of the copula 'to be' can be reduced to the fact that the subject of a proposition is placed in the area associated with its predicate (Euler diagrams). 'S is P' formula, therefore, reflects (without, however, fully expressing it) the logic of subject-predicate construction which, in its turn, is at the origin of substance-based metaphysics (pace Bertrand Russell). 'S is P' formula is self-evident only as long as Indo-European languages and the relevant logic of thought are concerned. The Arabic language displays an alternative predication formula which, in the light of the traditional Arabic grammarians’ terminology, may be designated as “S isnād P” (the 'S is P' formula is ruled out in natural Arabic text), where isnād means literally “to lean”. This core predication formula is backed by the intuition of flux. The relevant logic of subject-predicate construction is referred to as a process-based logic. The logic of subject-predicate construction is the 'minimum balance' of human thought. Whatever metaphysics one may discard, it is still impossible to discard the core logic of the subject-predicate construction; this logic survives intact any language transcoding. The reality as a seamless flow of events is split by the subject-predicate constructing activity of our mind into opposing sets of things. Since subject-predicate construction is performed on the basis of opposing logics, this is the bifurcation point. Sense perception and theoretical discourse produce the images of reality according to one of the alterning strategies of subject-predicate constructing activity. In other non-Western cultures, subject-predicate construction can be based on different core logics. The close scrutiny of their legacy (along the landmarks of basic intuition, logic of predication and its metaphysical implications) will, therefore, enrich our understanding of how human mind operates.