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Full Idea
To apply Quine's criterion that to be is to be the value of a quantifier-bound variable, we must already know the values of bound variables, which is to say that we must already be in possession of a preferred existence domain.
Gist of Idea
If to be is to be the value of a variable, we must already know the values available
Source
comment on Willard Quine (On What There Is [1948], Ch.6) by Dale Jacquette - Ontology
Book Ref
Jacquette,Dale: 'Ontology' [Acumen 2002], p.177
A Reaction
[A comment on Idea 1610]. Very nice to accuse Quine, of all people, of circularity, given his attack on analytic-synthetic with the same strategy! The values will need to be known extra-lingistically, to avoid more circularity.
Related Idea
Idea 1610 To be is to be the value of a variable, which amounts to being in the range of reference of a pronoun [Quine]