Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Reference and Necessity' and 'Building Blocks of Mathematical Logic'

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2 ideas

5. Theory of Logic / E. Structures of Logic / 4. Variables in Logic

17699	Variables are auxiliary notions, and not part of the 'eternal' essence of logic [Schönfinkel]
	Full Idea: A variable in a proposition of logic ....has the status of a mere auxiliary notion that is really inappropriate to the constant, 'eternal' essence of the propositions of logic.
	From: Moses Schönfinkel (Building Blocks of Mathematical Logic [1924], §1)
	A reaction: He presumably thinks that what the variables stand for (and he mentions 'argument places' and 'operators') will be included in the essence. My attention was caught by the thought that he takes logic to have an essence.

5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / c. Names as referential

16405	To understand a name (unlike a description) picking the thing out is sufficient? [Stalnaker]
	Full Idea: If we ask 'what must you know to understand a name?', the naïve answer is that one must know who or what it names - nothing more. (But no one would give this answer about what is needed to understand a definite description).
	From: Robert C. Stalnaker (Reference and Necessity [1997], 4)
	A reaction: Presumably this is naive because names can be full of meaning ('the Empress'), or description and reference together ('there's the man who robbed me') and so on. It's a nice starting point though. A number can serve as a name.