Ideas from 'Deriving Kripkean Claims with Abstract Objects' by Edward N. Zalta [2006], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Nous' (ed/tr -) [- ,]].

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9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 2. Abstract Objects / a. Nature of abstracta

10558

Abstract objects are actually constituted by the properties by which we conceive them

			Full Idea: Where for ordinary objects one can discover the properties they exemplify, abstract objects are actually constituted or determined by the properties by which we conceive them. I use the technical term 'x encodes F' for this idea.
			From: Edward N. Zalta (Deriving Kripkean Claims with Abstract Objects [2006], 2 n2)
			A reaction: One might say that whereas concrete objects can be dubbed (in the Kripke manner), abstract objects can only be referred to by descriptions. See 10557 for more technicalities about Zalta's idea.

18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 2. Abstracta by Selection

10557

Abstract objects are captured by second-order modal logic, plus 'encoding' formulas

			Full Idea: My object theory is formulated in a 'syntactically second-order' modal predicate calculus modified only so as to admit a second kind of atomic formula ('xF'), which asserts that object x 'encodes' property F.
			From: Edward N. Zalta (Deriving Kripkean Claims with Abstract Objects [2006], p.2)
			A reaction: This is summarising Zalta's 1983 theory of abstract objects. See Idea 10558 for Zalta's idea in plain English.