Supposition: A Problem for Bilateralism

Abstract

In bilateral logic formulas are signed by + and –, indicating the speech acts assertion and denial. I argue that making an assumption is also speech act. Speech acts cannot be embedded within other speech acts. Hence we cannot make sense of the notion of making an assumption in bilateral logic. Attempts to solve this problem are considered and rejected.

Keywords

• assertion
• denial
• negation
• supposition
• assumptions
• speech acts