Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Hermarchus, A.J. Ayer and Hugo Grotius

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2 ideas

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 1. Ontologies

6523	Positivists regard ontology as either meaningless or stipulated [Ayer, by Robinson,H]
	Full Idea: Positivists tend to be prejudiced against ontology, regarding very general questions about what sort of things exist either as meaningless, or as questions to be settled by stipulation.
	From: report of A.J. Ayer (Language,Truth and Logic [1936]) by Howard Robinson - Perception IX.4
	A reaction: So much the worse for positivists, because they are missing all the fun. I consider one of the central activities of philosophy to be speculating about explanations. Ontology is at the heart of what explanation aims at.

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / b. Commitment of quantifiers

2611	It is currently held that quantifying over something implies belief in its existence [Ayer]
	Full Idea: It is currently held that we are committed to a belief in the existence of anything over which we quantify.
	From: A.J. Ayer (The Central Questions of Philosophy [1973], IX.C)