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Single Idea 10591

[filed under theme 8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 11. Properties as Sets ]

Full Idea

In studying second-order logic one can think of relations and functions as extensional or intensional, or one can leave it open. Little turns on this here, and so words like 'property', 'class', and 'set' are used interchangeably.

Gist of Idea

Logicians use 'property' and 'set' interchangeably, with little hanging on it

Source

Stewart Shapiro (Higher-Order Logic [2001], 2.2.1)

Book Ref

'Blackwell Guide to Philosophical Logic', ed/tr. Goble,Lou [Blackwell 2001], p.36


A Reaction

Important. Students of the metaphysics of properties, who arrive with limited experience of logic, are bewildered by this attitude. Note that the metaphysics is left wide open, so never let logicians hijack the metaphysical problem of properties.


The 12 ideas from 'Higher-Order Logic'

First-order logic is Complete, and Compact, with the Löwenheim-Skolem Theorems [Shapiro]
Second-order variables also range over properties, sets, relations or functions [Shapiro]
Up Löwenheim-Skolem: if natural numbers satisfy wffs, then an infinite domain satisfies them [Shapiro]
Downward Löwenheim-Skolem: if there's an infinite model, there is a countable model [Shapiro]
Second-order logic has the expressive power for mathematics, but an unworkable model theory [Shapiro]
Logicians use 'property' and 'set' interchangeably, with little hanging on it [Shapiro]
The Löwenheim-Skolem Theorems fail for second-order languages with standard semantics [Shapiro]
The Löwenheim-Skolem theorem seems to be a defect of first-order logic [Shapiro]
Some say that second-order logic is mathematics, not logic [Shapiro]
If the aim of logic is to codify inferences, second-order logic is useless [Shapiro]
Logical consequence can be defined in terms of the logical terminology [Shapiro]
The axiom of choice is controversial, but it could be replaced [Shapiro]