# Truth value of claims about the Future



## Afterthought (Mar 14, 2013)

Are claims about the future true, false, or neither, and why? For example, "It is going to snow tomorrow." Is that true, false, or neither (that is, one cannot assign "true" or "false" to the claim)? How does this fit in with predictive prophecy?


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## Loopie (Mar 14, 2013)

Well, it is simply a matter of convenience and practicality that we as humans use the phrase 'it is going to snow tomorrow'. Technically speaking we are only saying that we think it is going to snow tomorrow based on whatever reasons/evidence we might have. I think claims about the future are either true or false, but we as finite humans are unable to verify the truthfulness or falsehood of those claims until the moment comes.

For instance, I believe that the prophets in the Bible made true claims about future events. They weren't guessing, they KNEW that those events would come to pass (such as the coming of Christ). 

But other than having the future revealed to us by God himself, I think the best we as humans can do is make educated guesses. Am I making a true statement when I say that the sun will rise tomorrow? Unless it is revealed to me by God, I cannot infallibly know that for certain. I can make an educated guess based on multiple factors, but it is perhaps possible that someway or another, God will prevent the sun from rising tomorrow. 

I think in general most humans realize that they could be wrong when they make claims about the future. Even if I say that I will one day die, that actually might turn out to be false. If Christ returns during my life, I will be changed, but I might not actually die before he comes. 

Ultimately I think it is simply convenient to make absolute statements about the future rather than trying to be technically correct all the time. I mean, it is much easier to tell my wife that I am going to a meeting tomorrow and will be home late. If I wanted to be technically correct, I would say that I am scheduled to be at a meeting tomorrow, and I believe that I will be attending, which will cause me to probably come home later than usual.


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## Afterthought (Mar 21, 2013)

Thank you. Apologies for not clarifying this in the OP, but I was looking at these claims from a logical standpoint, so that the actual probabilistic nature of these claims when people ordinarily use them in the real world don't affect the discussion. Certainly, the issue about prophecy is concerned with this question, and I was thinking the same thing. The trouble that some have though is that events are completely predetermined from a human standpoint (as opposed to Divine), if such claims have a truth value in the present. And then there's the question of how to verify such statements logically if they cannot be tested in the present. It does seem though that a Christian view might require acknowledging that these kinds of claims do have a truth value, since we do acknowledge a Being who is able to verify their value; so that the impossibility (apart from revelation) of logically dealing with these kinds of claims is something that simply must be lived with.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Mar 22, 2013)

You question falls within the realm of future contingents. There exists some formal logical arguments that, depending upon the premises rejected, either affirm or deny determinism. Probably best that you review the entry here:

Future Contingents (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

especially as relates to the arguments by Peircean and Ockhamist proponent.

From the law of the excluded middle and non-contradiction every proposition must have one and only one truth value. I would also claim that this truth value must be the same in space and time, so you cannot equivocate by claiming that it is going to snow tomorrow but not today (that's two propositions). 

It would seem to me that at best we can claim that under ordinary circumstances a person's statement "it is going to snow tomorrow" expresses nothing that is presently true or false.

You may also find this free book of use:

http://www.sfu.ca/~swartz/pw/text/pw_all.pdf


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## Afterthought (Mar 22, 2013)

Thanks! Looks like some interesting resources to look at. I was wondering if my question had to do with this topic. I wonder whether many-valued logic has its use then.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Mar 23, 2013)

Afterthought said:


> I wonder whether many-valued logic has its use then.


The book I linked to will help here. I suppose if you want to do logic in sentences versus propositions, there is a ise for multi-valued logic. 

Wishing you profitable results from your readings.


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