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Ideas for 'works', 'Metaphysics: the logical approach' and 'Letters to a German Princess'

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4 ideas

4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 1. Set Theory
Set theory attempts to reduce the 'is' of predication to mathematics [Benardete,JA]
     Full Idea: Set theory offers the promise of a complete mathematization of the 'is' of predication.
     From: José A. Benardete (Metaphysics: the logical approach [1989], Ch.13)
The set of Greeks is included in the set of men, but isn't a member of it [Benardete,JA]
     Full Idea: Set inclusion is sharply distinguished from set membership (as the set of Greeks is found to be included in, but not a member of, the set of men).
     From: José A. Benardete (Metaphysics: the logical approach [1989], Ch.13)
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 4. Axioms for Sets / a. Axioms for sets
The standard Z-F Intuition version of set theory has about ten agreed axioms [Benardete,JA, by PG]
     Full Idea: Zermelo proposed seven axioms for set theory, with Fraenkel adding others, to produce the standard Z-F Intuition.
     From: report of José A. Benardete (Metaphysics: the logical approach [1989], Ch.17) by PG - Db (ideas)
4. Formal Logic / G. Formal Mereology / 1. Mereology
Aristotle relativises the notion of wholeness to different measures [Aristotle, by Koslicki]
     Full Idea: Aristotle proposes to relativise unity and plurality, so that a single object can be both one (indivisible) and many (divisible) simultaneously, without contradiction, relative to different measures. Wholeness has degrees, with the strength of the unity.
     From: report of Aristotle (works [c.330 BCE]) by Kathrin Koslicki - The Structure of Objects 7.2.12
     A reaction: [see Koslicki's account of Aristotle for details] As always, the Aristotelian approach looks by far the most promising. Simplistic mechanical accounts of how parts make wholes aren't going to work. We must include the conventional and conceptual bit.