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Single Idea 18433

[filed under theme 8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 10. Properties as Predicates ]

Full Idea

There are so many properties that those specifiable in English, or in the brain's language of synaptic interconnections and neural spikes, could only be an infinitesimal minority.

Gist of Idea

There are far more properties than any brain could ever encodify

Source

David Lewis (New work for a theory of universals [1983], 'Un and Prop')

Book Ref

'Properties', ed/tr. Mellor,D.H. /Oliver,A [OUP 1997], p.192

A Reaction

Thus there are innumerable properties that must lack predicates. But there are also innumerable predicates that correspond to no real properties. I conclude that properties and predicates have very little in common. Job done.

The 30 ideas with the same theme [properties as purely linguistic concepts]:

10956 If we only saw bronze circles, would bronze be part of the concept of a circle? [Aristotle]
10317 It is unclear whether Frege included qualities among his abstract objects [Frege, by Hale]
4028 Frege allows either too few properties (as extensions) or too many (as predicates) [Mellor/Oliver on Frege]
8534 Quine says the predicate of a true statement has no ontological implications [Quine, by Armstrong]
15804 If some dogs are brown, that entails the properties of 'being brown' and 'being canine' [Chisholm]
8780 Attributes are functions, not objects; this distinguishes 'square of 2' from 'double of 2' [Geach]
4034 Whether we apply 'cold' or 'hot' to an object is quite separate from its change of temperature [Armstrong]
8535 To the claim that every predicate has a property, start by eliminating failure of application of predicate [Armstrong]
13582 'Being a methane molecule' is not a property - it is just a predicate [Ellis]
15756 Some truths are not because of a thing's properties, but because of the properties of related things [Shoemaker]
15761 We should abandon the idea that properties are the meanings of predicate expressions [Shoemaker]
8564 There is obviously a possible predicate for every property [Mellor]
16471 I accept a hierarchy of properties of properties of properties [Stalnaker]
15563 Properties are very abundant (unlike universals), and are used for semantics and higher-order variables [Lewis]
15739 There is the property of belonging to a set, so abundant properties are as numerous as the sets [Lewis]
18433 There are far more properties than any brain could ever encodify [Lewis]
8604 We need properties as semantic values for linguistic expressions [Lewis]
7014 A particle and a coin heads-or-tails pick out to perfectly well-defined predicates and properties [Fodor]
18443 A successful predicate guarantees the existence of a property - the way of being it expresses [Hale/Wright]
10714 The expressions with properties as their meanings are predicates and abstract singular terms [Oliver]
10715 There are five main semantic theories for properties [Oliver]
7015 A predicate applies truly if it picks out a real property of objects [Heil]
4587 From the property predicates P and Q, we can get 'P or Q', but it doesn't have to designate another property [Heil]
18533 In Fa, F may not be a property of a, but a determinable, satisfied by some determinate [Heil]
18540 Predicates only match properties at the level of fundamentals [Heil]
13638 Properties are often seen as intensional; equiangular and equilateral are different, despite identity of objects [Shapiro]
8273 Is 'the Thames is broad in London' relational, or adverbial, or segmental? [Lowe]
14995 Predicates can be 'sparse' if there is a universal, or if there is a natural property or relation [Sider]
9503 To name an abundant property is either a Fregean concept, or a simple predicate [Bird]
18432 Quineans say that predication is primitive and inexplicable [Edwards]