Single Idea 10748

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / c. Commitment of predicates]

Full Idea

For a predicate to have a referential function is one way, but not the only way, to harbour ontological commitment.

Gist of Idea

Reference is not the only way for a predicate to have ontological commitment

Source

Alex Oliver (The Metaphysics of Properties [1996], §22)

Book Reference

-: 'Mind' [-], p.63


A Reaction

Presumably the main idea is that the predicate makes some important contribution to a sentence which is held to be true. Maybe reference is achieved by the whole sentence, rather than by one bit of it.