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Full Idea
The means by which platonic objects are simulated is existential metaphor. Numbers are conjured up as metaphorical measures of cardinality.
Clarification
Cardinality answers 'How many?'
Gist of Idea
Platonic objects are really created as existential metaphors
Source
Stephen Yablo (Apriority and Existence [2000], §12)
Book Ref
'New Essays on the A Priori', ed/tr. Boghossian,P /Peacocke,C [OUP 2000], p.214
A Reaction
'Fictional' might be a better word than 'metaphorical', since the latter usually implies some sort of comparison.
| 8858 | Philosophers keep finding unexpected objects, like models, worlds, functions, numbers, events, sets, properties [Yablo] |
| 8859 | The main modal logics disagree over three key formulae [Yablo] |
| 8862 | Platonic objects are really created as existential metaphors [Yablo] |
| 8861 | Hardly a word in the language is devoid of metaphorical potential [Yablo] |
| 8863 | We must treat numbers as existing in order to express ourselves about the arrangement of planets [Yablo] |
| 8864 | We quantify over events, worlds, etc. in order to make logical possibilities clearer [Yablo] |
| 8865 | If 'the number of Democrats is on the rise', does that mean that 50 million is on the rise? [Yablo] |