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Full Idea
We could paraphrase 'some chairs are heavier than some tables' as 'there are xs that are arranged chairwise and there are ys that are arranged tablewise and the xs are heavier than the ys'.
Gist of Idea
We could refer to tables as 'xs that are arranged tablewise'
Source
Peter van Inwagen (Material Beings [1990], 11)
Book Ref
Inwagen,Peter van: 'Material Beings' [Cornell 1995], p.109
A Reaction
Liggins notes that this involves plural quantification. Being 'arranged tablewise' has become a rather notorious locution in modern ontology. We still have to retain identity, to pick out the xs.
| 21699 | Russell offered a paraphrase of definite description, to avoid the commitment to objects [Quine] |
| 14227 | We could refer to tables as 'xs that are arranged tablewise' [Inwagen] |
| 8262 | How can a theory of meaning show the ontological commitments of two paraphrases of one idea? [Lowe] |
| 10314 | An expression is a genuine singular term if it resists elimination by paraphrase [Hale] |
| 18491 | The idea of 'making' can be mere conceptual explanation (like 'because') [Künne] |
| 10633 | 'Some critics admire only one another' cannot be paraphrased in singular first-order [Linnebo] |
| 18861 | Maybe number statements can be paraphrased into quantifications plus identities [Tallant] |