Single Idea 10705

[catalogued under 5. Theory of Logic / G. Quantification / 5. Second-Order Quantification]

Full Idea

To put the predicate letter 'F' in a quantifier is to treat predicate positions suddenly as name positions, and hence to treat predicates as names of entities of some sort.

Gist of Idea

Putting a predicate letter in a quantifier is to make it the name of an entity

Source

Willard Quine (Philosophy of Logic [1970], Ch.5)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Philosophy of Logic' [Prentice-Hall 1970], p.66


A Reaction

Quine's famous objection to second-order logic. But Quine then struggles to give an account of predicates and properties, and hence is accused by Armstrong of being an 'ostrich'. Boolos 1975 also attacks Quine here.