Abstract

There is a fundamental disagreement about which norm regulates assertion. Proponents of factive accounts argue that only true propositions are assertable, whereas proponents of non-factive accounts insist that at least some false propositions are. This paper delineates an alternative solution: Understanding truth as the aim of assertion. While asserting, one describes reality as being in a certain way, and one succeeds only if reality is indeed in that way. This tells us under which conditions assertions are successful, but not yet under which conditions they are permissible. The second half of the paper explores the possibility of deriving assertability constraints from the view that truth is the aim of assertion, by appealing to some general principles of cooperation. Assertability expectations predicted by this account are loose and sensitive to features of context. I conclude by highlighting some important reasons to prefer this view over alternative accounts.