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Single Idea 13881

[from 'Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations)' by Gottlob Frege, in 3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 5. What Makes Truths / c. States of affairs make truths ]

Full Idea

For Frege (as opposed to Gödel) the epistemological aim is not to relate to the objects which are the subject-matter of number theory, but to relate to the states of affairs that make for the truth of number-theoretic statements.

Gist of Idea

We need to grasp not number-objects, but the states of affairs which make number statements true

Source

report of Gottlob Frege (Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) [1884]) by Crispin Wright - Frege's Concept of Numbers as Objects 1.v

Book Reference

Wright,Crispin: 'Frege's Conception of Numbers' [Scots Philosophical Monographs 1983], p.25


A Reaction

I am beginning to see that this is a key issue in modern philosophy, of whether we build our metaphysics on the things of the world or on the truths about the world. I vote for the things, because the other way slides into anti-realism.