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Full Idea
Definitions are called 'predicative', and are considered sound, if they only refer to entities which exist independently from the defined collection.
Gist of Idea
Predicative definitions only refer to entities outside the defined collection
Source
Leon Horsten (Philosophy of Mathematics [2007], §2.4)
Book Ref
'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.8
| 17241 | A defined name should not appear in the definition [Hobbes] |
| 15924 | Predicative definitions are acceptable in mathematics if they distinguish objects, rather than creating them? [Zermelo, by Lavine] |
| 10041 | Impredicative Definitions refer to the totality to which the object itself belongs [Gödel] |
| 18137 | Impredicative definitions are wrong, because they change the set that is being defined? [Bostock] |
| 21704 | 'Impredictative' definitions fix a class in terms of the greater class to which it belongs [Linsky,B] |
| 10031 | Impredicative definitions quantify over the thing being defined [George/Velleman] |
| 22285 | Impredicative definitions are circular, but fine for picking out, rather than creating something [Potter] |
| 8721 | An 'impredicative' definition seems circular, because it uses the term being defined [Friend] |
| 10882 | Predicative definitions only refer to entities outside the defined collection [Horsten] |