Question

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Ambiguous meaning? (Logical thinking required)

We probably are all aware of the difference between saying "I don't believe in the existence of God", and "God does not exist". One is a statement showing uncertainty, and the other is a statement expressing certainty.

 Someone said this : "Do people understand the difference between saying I don't think what you're saying is true and I think what you are saying is false?"

Is there a difference in meaning between :

" I don't think what you're saying is true" and
"I think what you are saying is false"?



asked on Tuesday, Sep 27, 2022 09:48:31 AM by

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Answers

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Bo Bennett, PhD
2

Of course, people often just mutter words that don't often reflect what is meant. Careful orators or writers do their best, but this is the exception, not the norm. This is why clarification is so important. "What do you mean by that?" And trying to "steelman" their argument or statement.

Let's break this down:

I don't think...

Expresses uncertainty as well as the fact that one is making an epistemological claim, not an ontological one.

...what you're saying is true.

The options are: the speaker either a) thinks what is being said is false or b) does not think it is true or false, but does not know. Again, people rarely say what they mean. I would estimate in almost all cases, the speaker actually means that what is being said is false.

So is there is a difference? Yes... in a strict semantical sense. In practicality, no difference.

answered on Tuesday, Sep 27, 2022 10:07:21 AM by Bo Bennett, PhD

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account no longer exists writes:

Thanks, Bo. That makes sense.

Here's how I interpreted it :

" I don't think what you're saying is true"  - so what does he think? He doesn't think it's true, and since there is only one other option if it's not true, he must think it is false.

If he had said "I don't KNOW if what you're saying is true", then he is open to the possibility of EITHER true or false.

That's where the ambiguity and difference of opinion lay.

posted on Tuesday, Sep 27, 2022 12:03:02 PM
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Bo Bennett, PhD writes:

 I don't think what you're saying is true"  - so what does he think? He doesn't think it's true, and since there is only one other option if it's not true, he must think it is false. 

If he does not think it is true, he can either think it is false or not think anything about it.

For example, I don't think that it is true that you have 12 rooms in your house. I don't think it is false either... I have no thoughts about it. This is what I was saying about being technically right but 99.9% of the time one would mean that they think it is false.

posted on Tuesday, Sep 27, 2022 12:10:42 PM
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Dr. Richard
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If I say, "I am certain I do not believe in the existence of god," does that change your question?

answered on Wednesday, Sep 28, 2022 11:17:35 AM by Dr. Richard

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