Help needed on how to distinguish part of a question, as a claim.

[memester]

Hi.
I wonder if someone would help me out, in showing how a claim made within a question, is indeed a claim.

[kennethamy]

Originally Posted by memester

Hi.
I wonder if someone would help me out, in showing how a claim made within a question, is indeed a claim.

Suppose I ask, "Have you ever wondered why snakes do not have feet?" I am clearly claiming that snakes do not have feet. That is, I am making the claim that snakes do not have feet, and I am asking whether you have ever wondered why that is true.

[memester]

that is , of course, what I think too.
I need to prove that such an assertion is indeed not a question.

---------- Post added 11-29-2009 at 02:37 AM ----------

to give the question that I think contains a claim:

If you are not confused then why can't you be more specific?

[kennethamy]

Originally Posted by memester

that is , of course, what I think too.
I need to prove that such an assertion is indeed not a question.

---------- Post added 11-29-2009 at 02:37 AM ----------

to give the question that I think contains a claim:

What assertion are you saying is not a question? No assertions are questions, are they? I thought I had given a question that contains a claim. Didn't I? I think I don't understand what it is you are looking for.

[memester]

Originally Posted by kennethamy

What assertion are you saying is not a question? No assertions are questions, are they? I thought I had given a question that contains a claim. Didn't I? I think I don't understand what it is you are looking for.

You did give an example, and I agree. But that is not proving that there is a claim there. I need to prove that "You can't be more specific", is a claim contained in the question, whereas the questioner says it is a question, not a claim.

so I need to know how to prove that it is a claim.

this question

If you are not confused then why can't you be more specific?

[kennethamy]

Originally Posted by memester

You did give an example, and I agree. But that is not proving that there is a claim there. I need to prove that "You can't be more specific", is a claim contained in the question, whereas the questioner says it is a question, not a claim.

so I need to know how to prove that it is a claim.

Is there some language I am not aware of in terms of which something like that is proved? Isn't it a claim that snakes have no feet? That statement is an assertion, and when I endorse it as true, I am making a claim.

In terms of your example: what you may mean is that the sentence, "you can't be more specific" can be either understood as a question (if asked with an inquiring intonation) so that it could be understood as asking, "can't you be more specific? And that question, "can't you be more specific?" also implies the claim that "you are not specific enough". Since you cannot be more specific unless you were not specific enough. That "you are not specific enough" is clearly something being claimed to be true.

[jgweed]

What about "rhetorical questions" where the answer is assumed in the question?

[kennethamy]

Originally Posted by jgweed

What about "rhetorical questions" where the answer is assumed in the question?

Yes, like, "How could anyone think that Adam had a belly-button?"

[memester]

Originally Posted by kennethamy

Is there some language I am not aware of in terms of which something like that is proved? Isn't it a claim that snakes have no feet? That statement is an assertion, and when I endorse it as true, I am making a claim.

In terms of your example: what you may mean is that the sentence, "you can't be more specific" can be either understood as a question (if asked with an inquiring intonation) so that it could be understood as asking, "can't you be more specific? And that question, "can't you be more specific?" also implies the claim that "you are not specific enough". Since you cannot be more specific unless you were not specific enough. That "you are not specific enough" is clearly something being claimed to be true.

From your replies, I'm beginning to think that perhaps it is not a philosophical question that I'm asking you, but instead maybe it's a grammar question.

I agree with what you are saying, but it seems not a proof -at least not the kind of proof that I'm looking for - one which shows through the grammar and sentence structure that there is a claim in there.

[kennethamy]

Originally Posted by memester

From your replies, I'm beginning to think that perhaps it is not a philosophical question that I'm asking you, but instead maybe it's a grammar question.

I agree with what you are saying, but it is not a proof, not the kind of proof I'm looking for that showss through the graamar and sentence structure that there si a claim n there..

Your teacher must have given you an example of what it was he meant. (I hope!). What is the example?