Single Idea 10137

[catalogued under 18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 7. Abstracta by Equivalence]

Full Idea

The uncompromising abstractionist rejects set theory, seeing the theory of abstractions as an alternative, rather than as a supplement, to the standard theory of sets.

Gist of Idea

Abstractionism can be regarded as an alternative to set theory

Source

Kit Fine (The Limits of Abstraction [2002], I.1)

Book Reference

Fine,Kit: 'The Limits of Abstraction' [OUP 2008], p.10


A Reaction

There is also a 'compromising' version. Presumably you still have equivalence classes to categorise the objects, which are defined by their origin rather than by what they are members of... Cf. Idea 10145.

Related Idea

Idea 10145 Abstracts cannot be identified with sets [Fine,K]