Ideas of Goodman,N/Quine,W, by Theme

[American, fl. 1947, Professors at Harvard University]

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8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 1. Nominalism / c. Nominalism about abstracta

17619	We renounce all abstract entities
	Full Idea: We do not believe in abstract entities..... We renounce them altogether.
	From: Goodman,N/Quine,W (Steps Towards a Constructive Nominalism [1947], p.105), quoted by Penelope Maddy - Defending the Axioms
	A reaction: Goodman always kept the faith here, but Quine decided to embrace sets, as a minimal commitment to abstracta needed for mathematics, which was needed for science. My sympathies are with Goodman. This is the modern form of 'nominalism'.