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Single Idea 10669

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

Full Idea

If all properties are distributive, plural reference is just a handy abbreviation to avoid repetition (as in 'A and B are hungry', to avoid 'A is hungry and B is hungry'), but not all properties are distributive (as in 'some people surround a table').

Clarification

See Idea 10634 for 'distributive'

Gist of Idea

Plural reference is just an abbreviation when properties are distributive, but not otherwise

Source

Keith Hossack (Plurals and Complexes [2000], 2)

Book Ref

-: 'British Soc for the Philosophy of Science' [-], p.415

A Reaction

The characteristic examples to support plural quantification involve collective activity and relations, which might be weeded out of our basic ontology, thus leaving singular quantification as sufficient.

Related Idea

Idea 10634 Predicates are 'distributive' or 'non-distributive'; do individuals do what the group does? [Linnebo]

The 24 ideas with the same theme [quantifiers pick out collections, not just 'one+' or 'all']:

14236 Each horse doesn't fall under the concept 'horse that draws the carriage', because all four are needed [Oliver/Smiley on Frege]
12798 Plurals can in principle be paraphrased away altogether [Quine]
14235 Saying 'they can become a set' is a tautology, because reference to 'they' implies a collection [Cargile]
10267 We should understand second-order existential quantifiers as plural quantifiers [Boolos, by Shapiro]
10698 Plural forms have no more ontological commitment than to first-order objects [Boolos]
15731 Quantification sometimes commits to 'sets', but sometimes just to pluralities (or 'classes') [Lewis]
15518 I like plural quantification, but am not convinced of its connection with second-order logic [Lewis]
15525 Plural quantification lacks a complete axiom system [Lewis]
10268 Maybe plural quantifiers should be understood in terms of classes or sets [Shapiro]
12845 Some natural languages don't distinguish between singular and plural [Simons]
10635 Second-order quantification and plural quantification are different [Linnebo]
10636 Plural plurals are unnatural and need a first-level ontology [Linnebo]
10639 Plural quantification may allow a monadic second-order theory with first-order ontology [Linnebo]
10640 Instead of complex objects like tables, plurally quantify over mereological atoms tablewise [Linnebo]
10641 Traditionally we eliminate plurals by quantifying over sets [Linnebo]
10778 Can second-order logic be ontologically first-order, with all the benefits of second-order? [Linnebo]
10783 Plural quantification depends too heavily on combinatorial and set-theoretic considerations [Linnebo]
14234 If you only refer to objects one at a time, you need sets in order to refer to a plurality [Oliver/Smiley]
14237 We can use plural language to refer to the set theory domain, to avoid calling it a 'set' [Oliver/Smiley]
12794 Plurals are semantical but not ontological [Laycock]
10666 Plural reference will refer to complex facts without postulating complex things [Hossack]
10669 Plural reference is just an abbreviation when properties are distributive, but not otherwise [Hossack]
10675 A plural comprehension principle says there are some things one of which meets some condition [Hossack]
14232 We normally formalise 'There are Fs' with singular quantification and predication, but this may be wrong [Liggins]