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Single Idea 17997

[filed under theme 6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 5. Definitions of Number / e. Caesar problem ]

Full Idea

Various authors have argued that identity statements arising in the context of the 'Julius Caesar' problem in philosophy of mathematics constitute category mistakes.

Gist of Idea

Some suggest that the Julius Caesar problem involves category mistakes

Source

Ofra Magidor (Category Mistakes [2013], 1.1 n1)

Book Ref

Magidor,Ofra: 'Category Mistakes' [OUP 2013], p.2


A Reaction

[She cites Benacerraf 1965 and Shapiro 1997:79]


The 13 ideas with the same theme [explain why Julius Caesar can't be a number]:

Property extensions outstrip objects, so shortage of objects caused the Caesar problem [Cantor, by Shapiro]
'Julius Caesar' isn't a number because numbers inherit properties of 0 and successor [Frege, by George/Velleman]
From within logic, how can we tell whether an arbitrary object like Julius Caesar is a number? [Frege, by Friend]
Frege said 2 is the extension of all pairs (so Julius Caesar isn't 2, because he's not an extension) [Frege, by Shapiro]
Fregean numbers are numbers, and not 'Caesar', because they correlate 1-1 [Frege, by Wright,C]
One-one correlations imply normal arithmetic, but don't explain our concept of a number [Frege, by Bostock]
The words 'There are exactly Julius Caesar moons of Mars' are gibberish [Rumfitt on Frege]
Our definition will not tell us whether or not Julius Caesar is a number [Frege]
Frege makes numbers sets to solve the Caesar problem, but maybe Caesar is a set! [Bostock]
If numbers are extensions, Frege must first solve the Caesar problem for extensions [Wright,C]
The Julius Caesar problem asks for a criterion for the concept of a 'number' [Hale/Wright]
Frege solves the Caesar problem by explicitly defining each number [Maddy]
Some suggest that the Julius Caesar problem involves category mistakes [Magidor]