Single Idea 9150

[catalogued under 18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 2. Abstracta by Selection]

Full Idea

Number abstraction can be taken to be a special case of abstraction in general, which can then be defined without recourse to the concept of number.

Gist of Idea

We should define abstraction in general, with number abstraction taken as a special case

Source

Kit Fine (Cantorian Abstraction: Recon. and Defence [1998], §3)

Book Reference

-: 'Journal of Philosophy' [-], p.11


A Reaction

At last, a mathematical logician recognising that they don't have a monopoly on abstraction. It is perfectly obvious that abstractions of simple daily concepts must be chronologically and logically prior to number abstraction. Number of what?