sannhetsbetinget

Sannhetsbetinget is a Norwegian term that translates to "truth-conditional" in English. It is a concept primarily used in philosophy of language and linguistics. At its core, sannhetsbetinget refers to the idea that the meaning of a declarative sentence is determined by the conditions under which it would be true. In other words, to understand what a sentence means, one must know what the world would have to be like for that sentence to be a correct description of it.

This principle suggests that the truth conditions of a sentence are its semantic content. If two sentences have the same truth conditions, they are considered to have the same meaning. For example, the sentences "The cat is on the mat" and "På matten ligger katten" (Norwegian for "On the mat lies the cat") would be considered to have the same meaning because they are true under exactly the same circumstances.

The theory of truth conditions has been influential in analytic philosophy, particularly in the work of philosophers like Ludwig Wittgenstein and Donald Davidson. It provides a framework for analyzing the relationship between language, thought, and reality. Understanding the sannhetsbetinget of a statement is crucial for determining its cognitive significance and for engaging in logical reasoning. It forms a foundational element in many theories of meaning and semantics.