Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 01:48:43 -0500
From: Logical Language Group <lojbab>
Message-Id: <199412070648.AA07571@access4.digex.net>
Subject: Re: (1) loi; (2) le v. la
Cc: lojbab@access.digex.net, lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu
Status: RO
X-From-Space-Date: Wed Dec  7 01:48:46 1994
X-From-Space-Address: lojbab

>I think this is "The king of France is bald", isn't it? If so, we really
>don't want to get embroiled in this discussion. However, to my (very
>limited) knowledge, the opposing positions regarding "the king of France
>is bald" are (a) that it is false, and (b) that it has no truth value,
>or has a 3rd truth value (i.e. not T or F). I am not aware of a position
>that holds the statement to be true [but as I say, I am ill acquainted
>with the literature].

But with "le", and with English "the", "The king of France is bald" CAN be
true.  Imagine that you are preparing for a play, and someone auditions
for the part of Louis XIV (or other appropriate king) with shoulder length
hair which they are unwilling to crop.  You might indeed say
"The king of France is bald" and it would indeed be true.  This is because
English "the" is not veridical - the king of France need not actually be
a monarch ruling over the nation of France that one reads about in the
newspapers.

lojbab