display all the ideas for this combination of philosophers
2 ideas
14137 | 'Any' is better than 'all' where infinite classes are concerned [Russell] |
Full Idea: The word 'any' is preferable to the word 'all' where infinite classes are concerned. | |
From: Bertrand Russell (The Principles of Mathematics [1903], §284) | |
A reaction: The reason must be that it is hard to quantify over 'all' of the infinite members, but it is easier to say what is true of any one of them. |
6061 | Existence is entirely expressed by the existential quantifier [Russell, by McGinn] |
Full Idea: Nowadays Russell's position is routinely put by saying that existence is what is expressed by the existential quantifier and only by that. | |
From: report of Bertrand Russell (On Denoting [1905]) by Colin McGinn - Logical Properties Ch.2 | |
A reaction: We must keep separate how you express existence, and what it is. Quantifiers seem only to be a style of expressing existence; they don't offer any insight into what existence actually is, or what we mean by 'exist'. McGinn dislikes quantifiers. |