Single Idea 13887

[catalogued under 6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 5. Definitions of Number / c. Fregean numbers]

Full Idea

Frege abandoned contextual definition of numerical singular terms, and decided to go for explicit definitions in terms of extension-denoting terms instead.

Gist of Idea

Frege started with contextual definition, but then switched to explicit extensional definition

Source

report of Gottlob Frege (Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) [1884]) by Crispin Wright - Frege's Concept of Numbers as Objects 3.xiv

Book Reference

Wright,Crispin: 'Frege's Conception of Numbers' [Scots Philosophical Monographs 1983], p.111