Skip to main content
Log in

States of affairs

  • Published:
Erkenntnis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

States of affairs are considered as ontologically basic. Different from similar accounts, these states of affairs are introduced as simple occurrences or items of a certain kind. The ontological importance of these occurrences lies in their semantical function as exemplars for the introduction of the most basic linguistic devices. The ontological basis proposed is particularist. Universals are an aspect of our routine behaviour as we neglect the differences of particular properties of things. Abstract objects are produced in our routine, language-dependent operations if we leave aside the fact that we usually operate with some definite material.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Armstrong, D. M.: 1978, Universals and Scientific Realism, 2 vols., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, D. M.: 1997, A World of States of Affairs, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fine, K.: 1991, ‘The Study of Ontology’, Noûs 25, 263–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frege, G.: 1969, Funktion, Begriff, Bedeutung. Fünf logische Studien, G. Patzig (Hrsg.). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Künne, W.: 1983, Abstrakte Gegenstände, Suhrkamp, Frankfurt a. M.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzen, P.: 1962, ‘Gleichheit und Abstraktion’, Ratio 4, 77–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Puntel, L. B.: 1990, Grundlagen einer Theorie der Wahrheit, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quine, W. V. O.: 1953, From a Logical Point of View, Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Rijk, L. M.: 1967, Logica Modernorum, Vol. II, Part 1: The Origin and EarlyDevelopment of the Theory of Supposition, Van Gorcum, Assen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stekeler-Weithofer, P.: 1986, Grundprobleme der Logik. Elemente einer Kritik der formalenVernunft, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tegtmeier, E.: 1992, Grundzüge einer kategorialen Ontologie. Dinge, Eigenschaften,Beziehungen, Sachverhalte, Alber, Freiburg/München.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiel, C.: 1979, Gottlob Frege: Die Abstraktion, in J. Speck (ed.), Grundproblemeder großen Philosophen. Philosophie der Gegenwart I, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen, pp. 9–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas Aquinas: 1865, In librum Boetii de Trinitate expositio, Opera 17. Petrus Fiaccadorus, Parma.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kraml, H. States of affairs. Erkenntnis 48, 311–324 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005446028574

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005446028574

Keywords

Navigation