Single Idea 18966

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / d. Commitment of theories]

Full Idea

I hold that the question of the ontological commitment of a theory does not properly arise except as that theory is expressed in classical quantificational form.

Gist of Idea

Ontological commitment of theories only arise if they are classically quantified

Source

Willard Quine (Existence and Quantification [1966], p.106)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Ontological Relativity and Other Essays' [Columbia 1969], p.106


A Reaction

He is attacking substitutional quantification for its failure to commit. I smell circularity. If it must be quantified in the first-order classical manner, that restricts your ontology to objects before you've even started. Chicken/egg.