Is There a Logic of the Ineffable? Or, How Is it Possible to Talk About the Unsayable?

Stephen Palmquist

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

5 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This chapter defends a single, fixed, definite answer to the question: Is there a logic that governs the unsayable? The proposed answer is: “Yes, and no. Or yes-but-not-yes. And/or yes-no.” Each component of this answer is examined and used to generate three laws of what Palmquist terms “synthetic logic”, which correspond directly to the laws of classical (Aristotelian) logic: the law of contradiction (“A = −A”), the law of non-identity (“A ≠ A”), and the law of the included middle (“−(Av-A)”). Ultimately, Palmquist concludes by arguing that we can talk about the unsayable only by assuming that propositions constructed in accordance with these three alternative logical laws can be meaningful.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationContemporary Debates in Negative Theology and Philosophy
EditorsNahum Brown, J. Aaron Simmons
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Pages71-80
Number of pages10
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9783319659008
ISBN (Print)9783319658995, 9783319881270
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 25 Nov 2017

Publication series

NamePalgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion
ISSN (Print)2634-6176
ISSN (Electronic)2634-6184

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Is There a Logic of the Ineffable? Or, How Is it Possible to Talk About the Unsayable?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this