Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Frege's Theory of Numbers', 'Causation and Laws of Nature' and 'Speaking of Objects'

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2 ideas

7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 2. Reduction

14599	Three types of reduction: Theoretical (of terms), Definitional (of concepts), Ontological (of reality) [Schaffer,J]
	Full Idea: Theoretical reduction concerns terms found in a theory; Definitional reduction concerns concepts found in the mind; Ontological reduction is independent of how we conceptualize entities, or theorize about them, and is about reality.
	From: Jonathan Schaffer (Causation and Laws of Nature [2008], 1)
	A reaction: An Aristotelian definition refers to reality, rather than to our words or concepts.

7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 7. Abstract/Concrete / a. Abstract/concrete

1630	We can only see an alien language in terms of our own thought structures (e.g. physical/abstract) [Quine]
	Full Idea: We are prone to talk about physical and abstract objects. It is hard to know how else to talk, because we are bound to adapt any alien pattern to our own in the very process of understanding or translating the alien sentences.
	From: Willard Quine (Speaking of Objects [1960], pt.I,p.1)