The Groundedness of Negative Truths

抄録

According to some philosophers, (1) if truthmaker theory is true, then all truths have truthmakers, but (2) there are no truthmakers for negative truths - therefore, the theory is false. In this paper, I defend truthmaker theory by arguing against both claims. I begin by examining and rejecting a recent attempt to argue against (1). I then present my own argument against (1) by considering the connection between truthmaking and the more general notion of grounding. Finally, I critically examine the proposal by Ross Cameron (2008) and argue that the world as a whole can make all negative truths true, despite an apparent inconsistency in and an implausible consequence of Cameron's account. The discussion reveals how negative truths are grounded in reality on the basis of a reassessment of how such truths matter to truthmaker theory.