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Single Idea 11962

[filed under theme 8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 1. Nominalism / a. Nominalism ]

Full Idea

A nominalist will only countenance first-order logic.

Gist of Idea

Nominalists only accept first-order logic

Source

George Molnar (Powers [1998], 12.2.2)

Book Ref

Molnar,George: 'Powers: a study in metaphysics', ed/tr. Mumford,Stephen [OUP 2003], p.210

A Reaction

This is because nominalist will not acknowledge properties as entities to be quantified over. Plural quantification seems to be a strategy for extending first-order logic while retaining nominalist sympathies.

The 17 ideas with the same theme [general ideas about nominalism]:

15386 If only the singular exists, science is impossible, as that relies on true generalities [Duns Scotus, by Panaccio]
15387 If things were singular they would only differ numerically, but horse and tulip differ more than that [Duns Scotus, by Panaccio]
16639 Only individual bodies exist [Bacon]
8494 Obviously 'Socrates is wise' and 'Socrates has wisdom' express the same fact [Ramsey]
10151 I am a deeply convinced nominalist [Tarski]
8505 Refusal to explain why different tokens are of the same type is to be an ostrich [Armstrong]
18957 Nominalism only makes sense if it is materialist [Putnam]
10534 'Nominalism' used to mean denial of universals, but now means denial of abstract objects [Dummett]
9880 Nominalism assumes unmediated mental contact with objects [Dummett]
11913 For nominalists, predicate extensions are inexplicable facts [Molnar]
11962 Nominalists only accept first-order logic [Molnar]
10744 Nominalism can reject abstractions, or universals, or sets [Oliver]
8961 Nominalists are motivated by Ockham's Razor and a distrust of unobservables [Hoffman/Rosenkrantz]
4482 Austere nominalism has to take a host of things (like being red, or human) as primitive [Loux]
21633 Nominalists suspect that properties etc are our projections, and could have been different [Williamson]
9435 A 'porridge' nominalist thinks we just divide reality in any way that suits us [Mumford]
4459 Moderate nominalism attempts to embrace the existence of properties while avoiding universals [Moreland]