Single Idea 12798

[catalogued under 5. Theory of Logic / G. Quantification / 6. Plural Quantification]

Full Idea

By certain standardizations of phrasing the contexts that call for plurals can in principle be paraphrased away altogether.

Gist of Idea

Plurals can in principle be paraphrased away altogether

Source

Willard Quine (Word and Object [1960], §19)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Word and Object' [MIT 1969], p.90


A Reaction

Laycock, who quotes this, calls it 'unduly optimistic', but I presume that it was the standard view of plural reference until Boolos raised the subject.