predicativists

Predicativists are a group of philosophers who hold the view that the meaning of a proposition is determined by the truth-conditions of the proposition alone. This view is in contrast to descriptivism, which holds that the meaning of a proposition is determined by the way in which the proposition describes the world. Predicativists argue that the truth-conditions of a proposition are the primary semantic value, and that the way in which the proposition describes the world is a secondary matter.

The most well-known predicativist is the logician and philosopher Gottlob Frege. Frege argued that the meaning of a proposition is determined by the truth-conditions of the proposition, and that the way in which the proposition describes the world is a secondary matter. Frege's view is known as the "context principle," which holds that the meaning of a proposition is determined by the way in which the proposition is used in a context.

Predicativists have been influential in the development of modern logic and philosophy. Their view has been used to defend a number of important philosophical positions, including the view that the meaning of a proposition is determined by the way in which the proposition is used in a context, and the view that the meaning of a proposition is determined by the truth-conditions of the proposition. However, their view has also been criticized, and there are a number of alternative views that have been proposed.