Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Necessary Existents', 'Science without Numbers' and 'In a Critical Condition'

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18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 4. Abstracta by Example

9917	'Abstract' is unclear, but numbers, functions and sets are clearly abstract [Field,H]
	Full Idea: The term 'abstract entities' may not be entirely clear, but one thing that does seem clear is that such alleged entities as numbers, functions and sets are abstract.
	From: Hartry Field (Science without Numbers [1980], p.1), quoted by JP Burgess / G Rosen - A Subject with No Object I.A.1.a
	A reaction: Field firmly denies the existence of such things. Sets don't seem a great problem, if the set is a herd of elephants, but the null and singleton sets show up the difficulties.