more from John Heil

Single Idea 4604

[catalogued under 19. Language / D. Propositions / 2. Abstract Propositions / a. Propositions as sense]

Full Idea

Anyone who takes propositions to be abstract entities owes the rest of us an account of how human beings could interact with such things.

Gist of Idea

If propositions are abstract entities, how do human beings interact with them?

Source

John Heil (Philosophy of Mind [1998], Ch.5)

Book Reference

Heil,John: 'Philosophy of Mind' [Routledge 1998], p.133


A Reaction

He makes this sound impossible, but that would mean that all abstraction is impossible, and there are no such things as ideas and concepts. In the end something has to be miraculous, so let it be our ability to think about abstractions.