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Full Idea
Meinong has recently been credited with inspiring 'free logic': a logic without existence assumptions.
Gist of Idea
So-called 'free logic' operates without existence assumptions
Source
report of Alexius Meinong (The Theory of Objects [1904]) by George / Van Evra - The Rise of Modern Logic 8
Book Ref
'A Companion of Philosophical Logic', ed/tr. Jacquette,Dale [Blackwell 2002], p.46
A Reaction
This would appear to be a bold escape from the quandries concerning the existential implications of quantifiers. I immediately find it very appealing. It seems to spell disaster for the Quinean program of deducing ontology from language.
8250 | So-called 'free logic' operates without existence assumptions [Meinong, by George/Van Evra] |
8971 | There are objects of which it is true that there are no such objects [Meinong] |
8718 | Meinong says an object need not exist, but must only have properties [Meinong, by Friend] |
8719 | There can be impossible and contradictory objects, if they can have properties [Meinong, by Friend] |
7756 | Meinong said all objects of thought (even self-contradictions) have some sort of being [Meinong, by Lycan] |
15781 | The objects of knowledge are far more numerous than objects which exist [Meinong] |