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Full Idea
It is a mistake to think that the Ramsey sentence allows us to eliminate theoretical entities, for it still states that they exist. It is just that they are referred to not directly, by means of theoretical terms, but by description.
Gist of Idea
The Ramsey sentence describes theoretical entities; it skips reference, but doesn't eliminate it
Source
J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 2.4.1)
Book Ref
Ladyman,J/Ross,D: 'Every Thing Must Go' [OUP 2007], p.126
Related Idea
Idea 14921 The Ramsey-sentence approach preserves observations, but eliminates unobservables [Ladyman/Ross]
| 6894 | Mental terms can be replaced in a sentence by a variable and an existential quantifier [Ramsey] |
| 15526 | There is a method for defining new scientific terms just using the terms we already understand [Lewis] |
| 15528 | A Ramsey sentence just asserts that a theory can be realised, without saying by what [Lewis] |
| 15529 | It is better to have one realisation of a theory than many - but it may not always be possible [Lewis] |
| 15531 | The Ramsey sentence of a theory says that it has at least one realisation [Lewis] |
| 14982 | If I used Ramsey sentences to eliminate fundamentality from my theory, that would be a real loss [Sider] |
| 14921 | The Ramsey-sentence approach preserves observations, but eliminates unobservables [Ladyman/Ross] |
| 14922 | The Ramsey sentence describes theoretical entities; it skips reference, but doesn't eliminate it [Ladyman/Ross] |