more on this theme     |     more from this thinker

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 21 ideas from 'Plurals and Complexes'

10666 Plural reference will refer to complex facts without postulating complex things [Hossack]
10664 Complex particulars are either masses, or composites, or sets [Hossack]
10665 Leibniz's Law argues against atomism - water is wet, unlike water molecules [Hossack]
10663 A thought can refer to many things, but only predicate a universal and affirm a state of affairs [Hossack]
10669 Plural reference is just an abbreviation when properties are distributive, but not otherwise [Hossack]
10668 We are committed to a 'group' of children, if they are sitting in a circle [Hossack]
10671 Plural definite descriptions pick out the largest class of things that fit the description [Hossack]
10675 A plural comprehension principle says there are some things one of which meets some condition [Hossack]
10673 Plural language can discuss without inconsistency things that are not members of themselves [Hossack]
10674 A plural language gives a single comprehensive induction axiom for arithmetic [Hossack]
10676 The Axiom of Choice is a non-logical principle of set-theory [Hossack]
10677 Extensional mereology needs two definitions and two axioms [Hossack]
10678 The relation of composition is indispensable to the part-whole relation for individuals [Hossack]
10681 In arithmetic singularists need sets as the instantiator of numeric properties [Hossack]
10682 The fusion of five rectangles can decompose into more than five parts that are rectangles [Hossack]
10680 The theory of the transfinite needs the ordinal numbers [Hossack]
10684 I take the real numbers to be just lengths [Hossack]
10683 We could ignore space, and just talk of the shape of matter [Hossack]
10685 Set theory is the science of infinity [Hossack]
10686 The Axiom of Choice guarantees a one-one correspondence from sets to ordinals [Hossack]
10687 Maybe we reduce sets to ordinals, rather than the other way round [Hossack]