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Generally, yes, by its own standard, the premise of fallibilism is fallible. It seems to me that whether or not you arrive at a contradiction depends on how you formulate it.

Let me demonstrate it with a couple modal definitions:

If we define "fallibilism is true" as equivalent to the proposition "all propositions are possibly false" ($P_1$), we get (S5):


$$ P_1$$P_1 \coloneqq \forall P , (\Diamond \neg P)  $$

$$ P_1$$P_1 \implies \Diamond \neg P_1 $$P_1$$

$$ \Diamond$$\Diamond \neg P_1 \equiv \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$P$$

So

$$ P_1$$P_1 \implies \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$P$$


So we see that "all propositions are possibly false" implies "possibly, some proposition is not possibly false". Here the implication seems somewhat counterintuitive, but there isn't exactly a blatant contradiction. This isn't the case, however, if you equate "fallibilism is true" with "it is not possible that there exists a necessarily true proposition" ($P_2$):


$$ P_2$$P_2 \coloneqq \neg \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$P$$

$$ P_2$$P_2 \implies \Diamond \neg P_2 $$P_2$$

$$ \Diamond$$\Diamond \neg P_2 \equiv \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$P$$

$$ \Diamond$$\Diamond \exists P : \Box P \equiv \neg P_2 $$P_2$$

So

$$ P_2$$P_2 \implies \neg P_2 $$P_2$$


So with $P_1$ we just get $P_1 \implies \Diamond \neg P_1$ but with $P_2$ we also get $P_2 \implies \neg P_2$.

Generally, yes, by its own standard, the premise of fallibilism is fallible. It seems to me that whether or not you arrive at a contradiction depends on how you formulate it.

Let me demonstrate it with a couple modal definitions:

If we define "fallibilism is true" as equivalent to the proposition "all propositions are possibly false" ($P_1$), we get (S5):


$$ P_1 \coloneqq \forall P , (\Diamond \neg P)  $$

$$ P_1 \implies \Diamond \neg P_1 $$

$$ \Diamond \neg P_1 \equiv \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$

So

$$ P_1 \implies \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$


So we see that "all propositions are possibly false" implies "possibly, some proposition is not possibly false". Here the implication seems somewhat counterintuitive, but there isn't exactly a blatant contradiction. This isn't the case, however, if you equate "fallibilism is true" with "it is not possible that there exists a necessarily true proposition" ($P_2$):


$$ P_2 \coloneqq \neg \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$

$$ P_2 \implies \Diamond \neg P_2 $$

$$ \Diamond \neg P_2 \equiv \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$

$$ \Diamond \exists P : \Box P \equiv \neg P_2 $$

So

$$ P_2 \implies \neg P_2 $$


So with $P_1$ we just get $P_1 \implies \Diamond \neg P_1$ but with $P_2$ we also get $P_2 \implies \neg P_2$.

Generally, yes, by its own standard, the premise of fallibilism is fallible. It seems to me that whether or not you arrive at a contradiction depends on how you formulate it.

Let me demonstrate it with a couple modal definitions:

If we define "fallibilism is true" as equivalent to the proposition "all propositions are possibly false" ($P_1$), we get (S5):


$$P_1 \coloneqq \forall P , (\Diamond \neg P)$$

$$P_1 \implies \Diamond \neg P_1$$

$$\Diamond \neg P_1 \equiv \Diamond \exists P : \Box P$$

So

$$P_1 \implies \Diamond \exists P : \Box P$$


So we see that "all propositions are possibly false" implies "possibly, some proposition is not possibly false". Here the implication seems somewhat counterintuitive, but there isn't exactly a blatant contradiction. This isn't the case, however, if you equate "fallibilism is true" with "it is not possible that there exists a necessarily true proposition" ($P_2$):


$$P_2 \coloneqq \neg \Diamond \exists P : \Box P$$

$$P_2 \implies \Diamond \neg P_2$$

$$\Diamond \neg P_2 \equiv \Diamond \exists P : \Box P$$

$$\Diamond \exists P : \Box P \equiv \neg P_2$$

So

$$P_2 \implies \neg P_2$$


So with $P_1$ we just get $P_1 \implies \Diamond \neg P_1$ but with $P_2$ we also get $P_2 \implies \neg P_2$.

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Generally, yes, by its own standard, the premise of fallibilism is fallible. It seems to me that whether or not you arrive at a contradiction depends on how you formulate it.

Let me demonstrate it with a couple modal definitions:

If we define "fallibilism is true" as equivalent to the proposition "all propositions are possibly false" ($P_1$), we get (S5):


$$ P_1 \coloneqq \forall P , (\Diamond \neg P) $$

$$ P_1 \implies \Diamond \neg P_1 $$

$$ \Diamond \neg P_1 \equiv \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$

So

$$ P_1 \implies \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$


So we see that "all propositions are possibly false" implies "possibly, some proposition is not possibly false". Here the implication seems somewhat counterintuitive, but there isn't exactly a blatant contradiction. This isn't the case, however, if you equate "fallibilism is true" with "it is not possible that there exists a necessarily true proposition" ($P_2$):


$$ P_2 \coloneqq \neg \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$

$$ P_2 \implies \Diamond \neg P_2 $$

$$ \Diamond \neg P_2 \equiv \Diamond \exists P : \Box P $$

$$ \Diamond \exists P : \Box P \equiv \neg P_2 $$

So

$$ P_2 \implies \neg P_2 $$


So with $P_1$ we just get $P_1 \implies \Diamond \neg P_1$ but with $P_2$ we also get $P_2 \implies \neg P_2$.