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Sextus Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

The expression "to constitute the basis for"

Hi, I'd like to know if the above expression is correctly used in the following sentence:

"Confidence in science constitutes the basis for denying the existence of moral values".

Thanks,

Sextus
  

Top answer

Hi, Yes, seems fine to me. Alternatives might include '... '.

  • Hi, Yes, seems fine to me.
  • Alternatives might include '...
  • '.
  • In terms of grammatical sentence balance, you might consider using 'confidence in / denial of' or 'having confidence in / denying'.
  • I prefer the former.
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32 Answers
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Hi,

Yes, seems fine to me. Alternatives might include '... forms the basis for ...', '...is the basis for...'.

In terms of grammatical sentence balance, you might consider using 'confidence in / denial of' or 'having confidence in / denying'. I prefer the former.

Best wishes, Clive
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Hi Clive,

So in that case, should I say "is the basis for the denial of..."?

Sextus
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Hi,

So in that case, should I say "is the basis for the denial of..."?

"Confidence in science is the basis for (the) denial of the existence of moral values".

I think you could say either. The definite article makes it more, well, definite or specific. 'No article' makes it a little more general. Personally
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Now I'm very used to not using the definite article as much as I do in Spanish. Furthermore, I think that English has had some negative influence upon my Spanish in this respect.

I'll give you an example which surprised me:

"Here the moral scepticism rests crucially on the confidence that there is such a viewpoint."

Yes, one would say that the author (a native speaker) w
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Hi Sextus,

Yes, it's a bit subtle, and I can see how Spanish would interfere with your English a bit, and vice-versa. I find that teaching English, and looking at it from students' points of view, occasionally causes me small difficulties with my own English!

Clive
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Sextus"is the basis for the denial of..."

I like this one, considering some of your other posts on the subject.
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Hello Sextus

What is the context for the sentence? It may make a difference.

MrP
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The context is the following:

"However, this is only apparent, since in closing her discussion of the local character of contemporary ethical skepticism, she points out that this skepticism “is essentially local, a part of a globally unsceptical world-view which is likely to be scientifically based…”. Annas does not think, then, that only confidence in science is the basis for the
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My opinion, which may be of only marginal value next to MrP's, who you are probably addressing here (though I've also thrown my hat into the ring on the question) is this: I'd suggest either, is the basis for the denial of, or, is the basis for denying', but not, is the basis for denial of'..
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No, I'd agree. Maybe:

"Annas does not think, then, that the only basis for denying the existence of objective moral values is [confidence in science]."

"Confidence in science" doesn't quite seem to convey the meaning, though. It seems to require "confidence in the X of science".

But what is X?

MrP

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