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Single Idea 7741

[from 'Begriffsschrift' by Gottlob Frege, in 28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / b. Ontological Proof critique ]

Full Idea

On Frege's logical analysis, the predicate 'exists' is actually a natural language expression for a quantifier.

Gist of Idea

The predicate 'exists' is actually a natural language expression for a quantifier

Source

report of Gottlob Frege (Begriffsschrift [1879]) by Joan Weiner - Frege Ch.8

Book Reference

Weiner,Joan: 'Frege' [OUP 1999], p.133


A Reaction

However see Idea 6067, for McGinn's alternative view of quantifiers. In the normal conventions of predicate logic it may be that existence is treated as a quantifier, but that is not the same as saying that existence just IS a quantifier.

Related Idea

Idea 6067 Existential quantifiers just express the quantity of things, leaving existence to the predicate 'exists' [McGinn]