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Single Idea 10641

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

Full Idea

The traditional view in analytic philosophy has been that all plural locutions should be paraphrased away by quantifying over sets, though Boolos and other objected that this is unnatural and unnecessary.

Gist of Idea

Traditionally we eliminate plurals by quantifying over sets

Source

Øystein Linnebo (Plural Quantification [2008], 5)

Book Ref

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.15


The 10 ideas from 'Plural Quantification'

'Some critics admire only one another' cannot be paraphrased in singular first-order [Linnebo]
Predicates are 'distributive' or 'non-distributive'; do individuals do what the group does? [Linnebo]
Second-order quantification and plural quantification are different [Linnebo]
Plural plurals are unnatural and need a first-level ontology [Linnebo]
Ordinary speakers posit objects without concern for ontology [Linnebo]
A pure logic is wholly general, purely formal, and directly known [Linnebo]
Plural quantification may allow a monadic second-order theory with first-order ontology [Linnebo]
Instead of complex objects like tables, plurally quantify over mereological atoms tablewise [Linnebo]
Traditionally we eliminate plurals by quantifying over sets [Linnebo]
We speak of a theory's 'ideological commitments' as well as its 'ontological commitments' [Linnebo]