Single Idea 18842

[catalogued under 6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / e. Ordinal numbers]

Full Idea

Menzel proposes that an ordinal is something isomorphic well-ordered sets have in common, so while an ordinal can be represented as a set, it is not itself a set, but a 'property' of well-ordered sets.

Gist of Idea

Maybe an ordinal is a property of isomorphic well-ordered sets, and not itself a set

Source

Ian Rumfitt (The Boundary Stones of Thought [2015], 9.2)

Book Reference

Rumfitt,Ian: 'The Boundary Stones of Thought' [OUP 2015], p.275


A Reaction

[C.Menzel 1986] This is one of many manoeuvres available if you want to distance mathematics from set theory.