Single Idea 9871

[catalogued under 5. Theory of Logic / G. Quantification / 2. Domain of Quantification]

Full Idea

Frege persistently neglected the question of the domain of quantification, which proved in the end to be fatal.

Gist of Idea

Frege always, and fatally, neglected the domain of quantification

Source

comment on Gottlob Frege (works [1890]) by Michael Dummett - Frege philosophy of mathematics Ch.16

Book Reference

Dummett,Michael: 'Frege: philosophy of mathematics' [Duckworth 1991], p.207


A Reaction

The 'fatality' refers to Russell's paradox, and the fact that not all concepts have extensions. Common sense now says that this is catastrophic. A domain of quantification is a topic of conversation, which is basic to all language. Cf. Idea 9874.

Related Idea

Idea 9874 Contradiction arises from Frege's substitutional account of second-order quantification [Dummett on Frege]