Ontological Economy: Substitutional Quantification and MathematicsShows that when Qyuine's criterion of ontological commitment is modified to allow for the legitimacy of substitutional quantification, two consequences follow: (i) fundamental questions of ontology cease to be settled by mere appeal to logical form and truth, and (ii) a powerful method for reducing ontological commitments becomes available. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
The NonExtensionality of Ontological Commitment | 14 |
The Criterion of Ontological Commitment | 41 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
addition analysis antecedent application arithmetic asserts assignment of truth atomic sentences axiom of infinity axioms cation chapter Chihara consequent context criterion Davidson Davidsonian defined definition domain Ellis's entities equivalent exactly example existence extension extensional fact finite follows formal fractions function hence infinite infinity instances intuition Jubien Kripke languages with substitutional logical form logically implies logically true material equivalence mathematics measurement sentences ment metaphysical multiplicity attributions nominalist notion number theory numerical measure objects OC sentences ontological commitment open sentences Pabc Philosophy possible worlds premisses primitive predicates primitive recursive function problem Proof quantified sentences question Quine reason recursive referential requires respect Richard Nixon rules s₁ s₂ Sabc satisfied semantical interpretation sentences of L1 sentences of LO singular terms standard standardly false standardly true substituends substitutional quantification substitutional variables substitutionally target conditionals theorems theory of truth things true iff truth conditions truth-values universe unquantified window view