metaproposition

noun — 2 senses

metaproposition

noun

Etymology From meta- + proposition.

1

Human sciences, Philosophy, Sciences A proposition about propositions.

  • What cognitive process—corresponding to intuition—enables a system to not only accept a proposition as true but to accept a metaproposition about “its” knowledge that the proposition is true?1976, Manfred Kochen, “Cognitive Science”, in Jack Belzer, Albert G. Holzman, Allen Kent, editors, Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology, volume 5, →ISBN, page 117:
  • It cannot even be determined whether the former or the latter is the case, that is to say, whether one has arrived at a developmental-psychological proposition about individuals or a metaproposition about one’s own terminology.1989, Peter Janich, “Determination by Reality or Construction of Reality?”, in Robert E. Butts, J. R. Brown, editors, Constructivism and Science: Essays in Recent German Philosophy, →ISBN, page 262:
1 more example
  • Since this is to assert both p and not-p (now about metapropositions concerning the truth of first-order moral propositions), presuppositional relativism appears to be as vulnerable as semantic relativism to charges of incoherence.1999, Heidi M. Hurd, Moral Combat: The Dilemma of Legal Perspectivalism, →ISBN, page 47:
2

Literature, Media, Publishing An underlying proposition that is embedded in many different statements throughout a given work or set of works.

  • On the one side, others may see some other metaproposition that circulates throughout a piece of writing, different from one that I might proposed. On the other, still others may perceive no metaproposition at all.1992, Jacob Neusner, Decoding the Talmud’s Exegetical Program: From Detail to Principle in the Bavli’s Quest for Generalization, →ISBN, page 2:
  • The initial metaproposition of the thema having been amply and methodically, if at times laboriously, dismantled and demonstrated, the preacher then brings his discourse to an end, the conclusio being a clear, neat summary of the various parts of the sermon.1995, Franco Mormando, “‘To Persuade Is a Victory’: Rhetoric and Moral Reasoning in the Sermons of Bernardino of Siena”, in James F. Keenan, Thomas A. Shannon, editors, The Context of Casuistry, →ISBN, page 61:
1 more example
  • In his reformulated version of path-goal theory, House offered a metaproposition, which provides a capsule summary of a dizzying amount of studies and theorizing in relation to the theory. Understanding this metaproposition would be a good take-away from the theory: For leaders to be effective, they should engage in behaviors that complement subordinates’ environments and abilities.2013, Andrew J. DuBrin, Leadership: Research Findings, Practice, and Skills, 7th edition, →ISBN, pages 147–8:
Related terms
metapropositional

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.