Single Idea 9873

[catalogued under 18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 1. Abstract Thought]

Full Idea

To recognise abstract terms as perfectly proper items of a vocabulary depends upon allowing that all that is necessary for the lawful introduction of a range of expressions into the language is a coherent account of how they are to function in sentences.

Gist of Idea

Abstract terms are acceptable as long as we know how they function linguistically

Source

Michael Dummett (Frege philosophy of mathematics [1991], Ch.16)

Book Reference

Dummett,Michael: 'Frege: philosophy of mathematics' [Duckworth 1991], p.208


A Reaction

Why can't the 'coherent account' of the sentences include the fact that there must be something there for the terms to refer to? How else are we to eliminate nonsense words which obey good syntactical rules? Cf. Idea 9872.

Related Idea

Idea 9872 Abstract objects need the context principle, since they can't be encountered directly [Dummett]