Propositionan

Propositionan is a term used in discussions of logic and philosophy of language to designate a higher-order proposition—a proposition about propositions. Unlike ordinary propositions that state facts about the world, a propositionan asserts something about the status, truth conditions, provability, or formal structure of other propositions. In this sense, propositionans function as meta-propositional entities within a theoretical framework.

Usage and interpretation: In informal or thought-experimental contexts, a propositionan can be employed to formalize statements about meta-level properties of propositions, such as “There exists a propositionan that is true but not provable within this system”—an analogy to Gödelian results. In formal settings, one may treat propositionans as a type of meta-proposition expressed in higher-order logic or within a meta-logical theory; however, there is no standard syntax or widely accepted definition. Consequently, interpretations vary across authors.

Relation to other concepts: Propositionan is related to the notions of meta-propositions, meta-logic, and the study of truth conditions and provability. It is distinct from ordinary propositions and from linguistic assertions about sentences, though it may refer to both in discussion.

Origin and usage: The term is a neologism that has appeared in speculative discussions and is not part of standard tradition in logic or linguistics. It is primarily used to explore meta-level questions rather than to advance established results.

See also: proposition, meta-proposition, meta-logic, Gödel's incompleteness theorem.