The Accusation Threshold Problem for Accusational Utterances
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36285/tm.127Abstract
Having previously defined accusations, we noticed that accusations appear in gradations leading to borderline cases. The resolution of boundaries between accusations and other utterances, which do not qualify as accusations, is a critical matter for some applications of accusation theory.
We take ``accusational utterances'' as the widest class of utterances that purport to be accusations. Accusations are a subclass of accusational utterances.
Agents may differ in their willingness to
recognzize an accusational utterance as an accusation. An agent absorbs an accusation if they recognize the accusation as such and do not disqualify it as a mere accusational utterance.
In some cases it is hard to understand whether or not an accusational utterance will be absorbed by an agent. The accusational threshold problem for an accusational utterance concerns the question under which conditions an accusational utterance qualifies as an accusation and thereby is worthy of absorption.
An accusation may or may not be valid, where validity concerns the truth of the body of the accusation.
Rejecting, or merely doubting, the validity of an accusation is a proof of absorption of the accusation. Admitting the validity of an accusation is a sign of absorption as well.
Within the class of accustions we find a strict subclass of verdictional utterances, which are accusations for which the accuser is not in significant doubt regarding the validity of the accusation. The verdictional utterance threshold problem is about the demarcation between accusations and verdictional utterances.
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