Ideas from 'Merely Possible Propositions' by Robert C. Stalnaker [2010], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Modality' (ed/tr Hale,B/Hoffman,A) [OUP 2010,]].

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9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 4. Impossible objects

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Predicates can't apply to what doesn't exist

			Full Idea: Nothing can be predicated of something which does not exist.
			From: Robert C. Stalnaker (Merely Possible Propositions [2010], p.28)
			A reaction: [He says he is 'agreeing with Plantinga' on this] This seems very puzzling, as you can obviously say that dragons do not exist, but they breathe fire. Why can't you attach predicates to hypothetical objects?

19. Language / D. Propositions / 3. Concrete Propositions

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A 'Russellian proposition' is an ordered sequence of individual, properties and relations

			Full Idea: A 'Russellian proposition' is an ordered sequence containing the individual, along with properties and relations.
			From: Robert C. Stalnaker (Merely Possible Propositions [2010], p.22)
			A reaction: Since Russell took properties and relations to be features of reality, this made the whole proposition a feature of reality. This is utterly different from what I understand by the word 'proposition', which is a feature of thought, not of the world.