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Single Idea 15532

[filed under theme 7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 1. Nature of Existence ]

Full Idea

An expansive friend of the controversial entities who says they all exist may be called an 'allist'; a tough desert-dweller who says that none of them exist may be called a 'noneist'.

Gist of Idea

'Allists' embrace the existence of all controversial entities; 'noneists' reject all but the obvious ones

Source

David Lewis (Noneism or Allism? [1990], p.152)

Book Ref

Lewis,David: 'Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology' [CUP 1999], p.152

A Reaction

Lewis gives examples of the obvious and the controversial entities. Lewis implies that he himself is in between. The word 'desert' is a reference to Quine.

The 4 ideas from 'Noneism or Allism?'

15532 'Allists' embrace the existence of all controversial entities; 'noneists' reject all but the obvious ones [Lewis]
15533 We can quantify over fictions by quantifying for real over their names [Lewis]
15534 We could quantify over impossible objects - as bundles of properties [Lewis]
15535 We can't accept a use of 'existence' that says only some of the things there are actually exist [Lewis]