Question

As an umbrella term, "structuralism" has to cover realist and nonrealist versions, while also carrying through the theme of its name nontrivially (for there is a trivial way to make structuralism true: just make the meaning of the word "structure" sufficiently ambiguous and vague and voila! everything can be made into an example of a pattern, even an empty or trivial pattern (with no or only one object of the pattern)). Can this be done by:

Using a truth-functional semantics for the domain of discourse? Where the meaningfulness of component terms is read primarily down from the encompassing truth-conditions rather than up from individual-object referents of the terms.
Propositionalism? Where the primary objects of mathematics are propositions, either "objectively" as abstract truth-theoretic objects or fictionalistically, as assertoric functions in fictional discourse.

Answer 1

The philosophical debate between structuralism and post-structuralism pertains to whether universal structures dictate the understanding of truth and meaning, with structuralism affirming and post-structuralism denying fixed structures.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to the philosophical concepts of structuralism and post-structuralism, exploring whether universal structures govern the meaning and truth within various domains, such as language or mathematics. Structuralism posits that there is an objective structure to the universe, and that societal systems, including language, reflect this structure. On the other hand, post-structuralism challenges this idea by suggesting that meanings and truths are not fixed but constantly recreated and influenced by human and nonhuman factors. Postmodernists further argue that there is no absolute truth, leaving everything open to individual interpretation.

To answer the student's query, the meaningfulness of component terms can indeed be interpreted primarily from the encompassing truth-conditions (truth-functional semantics), reflecting a structuralist approach. Similarly, propositionalism, which posits that the primary objects of mathematics are propositions, can also be aligned with structuralism by situating the truth of these propositions within an overarching truth-theoretic framework, again emphasizing an objective structure.

However, post-structuralists would argue that because universal structures are abstractions and the product of human imaginations, any sense of encompassing truth-conditions or objective propositions may be illusory, shaped by the power dynamics and the constant change in meaning ascribed by societies.