Combining Philosophers

Ideas for John Charvet, Metrodorus (Chi) and Stewart Shapiro

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13 ideas

4. Formal Logic / A. Syllogistic Logic / 1. Aristotelian Logic
Aristotelian logic is complete [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: Aristotelian logic is complete.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], 2.5)
     A reaction: [He cites Corcoran 1972]
4. Formal Logic / D. Modal Logic ML / 1. Modal Logic
Modal operators are usually treated as quantifiers [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: It is common now, and throughout the history of philosophy, to interpret modal operators as quantifiers. This is an analysis of modality in terms of ontology.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Philosophy of Mathematics [1997], Intro)
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 3. Types of Set / a. Types of set
A set is 'transitive' if contains every member of each of its members [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: If, for every b∈d, a∈b entails that a∈d, the d is said to be 'transitive'. In other words, d is transitive if it contains every member of each of its members.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], 4.2)
     A reaction: The alternative would be that the members of the set are subsets, but the members of those subsets are not themselves members of the higher-level set.
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 4. Axioms for Sets / j. Axiom of Choice IX
Choice is essential for proving downward Löwenheim-Skolem [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: The axiom of choice is essential for proving the downward Löwenheim-Skolem Theorem.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], 4.1)
Axiom of Choice: some function has a value for every set in a given set [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: One version of the Axiom of Choice says that for every set A of nonempty sets, there is a function whose domain is A and whose value, for every a ∈ A, is a member of a.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Philosophy of Mathematics [1997], 1)
The Axiom of Choice seems to license an infinite amount of choosing [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: If the Axiom of Choice says we can choose one member from each of a set of non-empty sets and put the chosen elements together in a set, this licenses the constructor to do an infinite amount of choosing.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Philosophy of Mathematics [1997], 6.3)
     A reaction: This is one reason why the Axiom was originally controversial, and still is for many philosophers.
The axiom of choice is controversial, but it could be replaced [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: The axiom of choice has a troubled history, but is now standard in mathematics. It could be replaced with a principle of comprehension for functions), or one could omit the variables ranging over functions.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Higher-Order Logic [2001], n 3)
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 5. Conceptions of Set / a. Sets as existing
Are sets part of logic, or part of mathematics? [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: Is there a notion of set in the jurisdiction of logic, or does it belong to mathematics proper?
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], Pref)
     A reaction: It immediately strikes me that they might be neither. I don't see that relations between well-defined groups of things must involve number, and I don't see that mapping the relations must intrinsically involve logical consequence or inference.
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 5. Conceptions of Set / e. Iterative sets
It is central to the iterative conception that membership is well-founded, with no infinite descending chains [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: In set theory it is central to the iterative conception that the membership relation is well-founded, ...which means there are no infinite descending chains from any relation.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], 5.1.4)
Russell's paradox shows that there are classes which are not iterative sets [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: The argument behind Russell's paradox shows that in set theory there are logical sets (i.e. classes) that are not iterative sets.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], 1.3)
     A reaction: In his preface, Shapiro expresses doubts about the idea of a 'logical set'. Hence the theorists like the iterative hierarchy because it is well-founded and under control, not because it is comprehensive in scope. See all of pp.19-20.
Iterative sets are not Boolean; the complement of an iterative set is not an iterative sets [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: Iterative sets do not exhibit a Boolean structure, because the complement of an iterative set is not itself an iterative set.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], 7.1)
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 6. Ordering in Sets
'Well-ordering' of a set is an irreflexive, transitive, and binary relation with a least element [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: A 'well-ordering' of a set X is an irreflexive, transitive, and binary relation on X in which every non-empty subset of X has a least element.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], 5.1.3)
     A reaction: So there is a beginning, an ongoing sequence, and no retracing of steps.
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 8. Critique of Set Theory
Anti-realists reject set theory [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: Anti-realists reject set theory.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Philosophy of Mathematics [1997], Intro)
     A reaction: That is, anti-realists about mathematical objects. I would have thought that one could accept an account of sets as (say) fictions, which provided interesting models of mathematics etc.