Opaque context facts for kids
Imagine you're talking about someone or something. Sometimes, you can use different names for the same person or thing, and your sentence still means the same thing and stays true. But other times, if you swap out a name, the sentence might suddenly become false, even if both names refer to the exact same person! This tricky situation is called an opaque context.
Think about Lois Lane and Superman. Lois believes Superman is a hero. This is true. But Lois doesn't know that Superman is also Clark Kent. So, if you say, "Lois believes Clark Kent is a hero," that's false to her, even though Superman and Clark Kent are the same person! This is a perfect example of an opaque context. In an opaque context, you can't always swap names that refer to the same thing without changing whether the sentence is true or false.
Contents
What is an Opaque Context?
The idea of an opaque context is important in philosophy, especially when people talk about how words connect to the real world. It helps us understand how our beliefs and knowledge can affect what we say.
Opaque vs. Transparent: What's the Difference?
To really understand an opaque context, it's helpful to compare it with its opposite: a transparent context.
When a Context is Opaque
An opaque context happens when a sentence talks about someone's thoughts, beliefs, or knowledge. Because people might not know all the different names for the same thing, swapping names can change the meaning or truth of the sentence.
Let's use an example with a famous Roman speaker:
- "Mary believes that Cicero is a great orator." (An orator is a public speaker.)
- Cicero was also known as 'Tully'.
- If we swap 'Cicero' for 'Tully', we get: "Mary believes that Tully is a great orator."
If Mary doesn't know that Cicero and Tully are the same person, the first sentence might be true for her, but the second one could be false. This is because the sentence is about Mary's belief, and her belief is tied to the specific name she knows.
When a Context is Transparent
A transparent context is much simpler. In these sentences, you can always swap different names for the same person or thing, and the sentence will still mean the same thing and stay true. These sentences usually talk about facts about the world, not about someone's thoughts or beliefs.
Let's use Cicero again:
- "Cicero was a Roman orator."
- If we swap 'Cicero' for 'Tully', we get: "Tully was a Roman orator."
Both of these sentences are true, and they mean the exact same thing, because they are talking about a fact about the person, not someone's belief about them. In a transparent context, the names don't hide or change the truth.
See also
