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Single Idea 8455

[from 'On What There Is' by Willard Quine, in 5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / f. Names eliminated ]

Full Idea

Quine says that names need not be part of one's canonical notation; in fact, whatever scientific purposes are accomplished by names can be carried out just as well by the devices of quantification, variables and predicates.

Gist of Idea

Canonical notation needs quantification, variables and predicates, but not names

Source

report of Willard Quine (On What There Is [1948]) by Alex Orenstein - W.V. Quine Ch.2

Book Reference

Orenstein,Alex: 'W.V. Quine' [Princeton 2002], p.27


A Reaction

This is part of Quine's analysis of where the ontological commitment of a language is to be found. Kripke's notion that a name baptises an item comes as a challenge to this view.