more from Willard Quine

Single Idea 4216

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / d. Commitment of theories]

Full Idea

According to Quine, we find the ontological commitments of a theory by expressing it in first-order predicate logic, then determining what kind of entities must be admitted as bound variables if the theory is true.

Gist of Idea

Express a theory in first-order predicate logic; its ontology is the types of bound variable needed for truth

Source

report of Willard Quine (Existence and Quantification [1966]) by E.J. Lowe - A Survey of Metaphysics p.216

Book Reference

Lowe,E.J.: 'A Survey of Metaphysics' [OUP 2002], p.216


A Reaction

To me this is horribly wrong. The ontological commitments of our language is not the same as ontology. What are the ontological commitments of a pocket calculator?