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Single Idea 10526

[from 'Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations)' by Gottlob Frege, in 18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 7. Abstracta by Equivalence ]

Full Idea

Fregean abstraction rests on initial items, taken to be related by an equivalence relation (e.g. parallelism, or equinumerosity), and then an operation for forming abstraction (e.g. direction or number), with identity related to their equivalence.

Gist of Idea

Fregean abstraction creates concepts which are equivalences between initial items

Source

report of Gottlob Frege (Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) [1884]) by Kit Fine - Precis of 'Limits of Abstraction' p.305

Book Reference

-: 'Philosophical Studies' [-], p.305


A Reaction

[compressed] This is the best summary I have found of the modern theory of abstraction, as opposed to the nature of the abstracta themselves. A minimum of two items is needed to implement the process.