 This result seems to me to be detrimental for Mally’s theory, however. It indicates that the introduction of the sign ! is superfluous in the sense that it may be cancelled or inserted in any formula at any place we please. But this result (in spite of Mally’s philosophical justification) clearly contradicts not only our use of the word “ought” but also some of Mally’s own correct remarks about this concept, e.g. the one at the beginning of his development to the effect that p → (!q or !r) and p → !(q or r) are not equivalent. Mally is quite right that these two propositions are not equivalent according to the ordinary use of the word “ought.” But they are equivalent according to his theory by virtue of the equivalence of p and !p (Menger 1939, p. 58).