Propositions as Structured Entities

In Chapter 2 , Davidson sets out and defends his account of propositions as structured entities. He begins by arguing that we should think that propositions have parts in the same way other things have parts. Next, he sets out reasons for preferring a structured account of propositions over other accounts of propositions. After that, he takes up the question of the unity of the proposition by way of considering Bertrand Russell&s;s struggles with the question in the early 20th century. Davidson next gives an account of structured propositions that avoids problems of the unity of the proposition. A key element in this account is propositional composition relations . These relations bind propositional constituents together into a truth-evaluable entity. Next, Davidson considers several objections to an account of structured propositions like his own. Finally, Davidson takes up two competing theories of propositions: One on which they are set-theoretic entities and one on which they are primitive entities. He argues that a structured account is to be preferred to either of these alternative accounts.