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Full Idea
According to Quine, we find the ontological commitments of a theory by expressing it in first-order predicate logic, then determining what kind of entities must be admitted as bound variables if the theory is true.
Gist of Idea
Express a theory in first-order predicate logic; its ontology is the types of bound variable needed for truth
Source
report of Willard Quine (Existence and Quantification [1966]) by E.J. Lowe - A Survey of Metaphysics p.216
Book Ref
Lowe,E.J.: 'A Survey of Metaphysics' [OUP 2002], p.216
A Reaction
To me this is horribly wrong. The ontological commitments of our language is not the same as ontology. What are the ontological commitments of a pocket calculator?
4216 | Express a theory in first-order predicate logic; its ontology is the types of bound variable needed for truth [Quine, by Lowe] |
18966 | Ontological commitment of theories only arise if they are classically quantified [Quine] |
8459 | Fictional quantification has no ontology, so we study ontology through scientific theories [Quine, by Orenstein] |
8497 | An ontology is like a scientific theory; we accept the simplest scheme that fits disorderly experiences [Quine] |
18964 | Ontology is relative to both a background theory and a translation manual [Quine] |
3325 | For Quine everything exists theoretically, as reference, predication and quantification [Quine, by Benardete,JA] |
15002 | If the best theory of adverbs refers to events, then our ontology should include events [Davidson, by Sider] |
18505 | Fundamental ontology aims at the preconditions for any true theory [Heil] |
14983 | Accept the ontology of your best theory - and also that it carves nature at the joints [Sider] |
16258 | To get an ontology from ontological commitment, just add that some theory is actually true [Maudlin] |
14489 | Theories do not avoid commitment to entities by avoiding certain terms or concepts [Thomasson] |