Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Frege's Concept of Numbers as Objects', 'Apology for Raymond Sebond' and 'Atomism'

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3 ideas

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 2. Types of Existence
The idea that 'exist' has multiple senses is not coherent [Wright,C]
     Full Idea: I have the gravest doubts whether any coherent account could be given of any multiplicity of senses of 'exist'.
     From: Crispin Wright (Frege's Concept of Numbers as Objects [1983], 2.x)
     A reaction: I thoroughly agree with this thought. Do water and wind exist in different senses of 'exist'?
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 3. Reality
We lack some sense or other, and hence objects may have hidden features [Montaigne]
     Full Idea: We may all lack some sense or other; because of that defect, most of the features of objects may be concealed from us.
     From: Michel de Montaigne (Apology for Raymond Sebond [1580], p.0666)
     A reaction: This strikes me as simple, straightforward common sense, and right. I cannot make sense of the claim that reality really is just the way it appears. We do not have a built-in neutrino detector, for example.
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / b. Commitment of quantifiers
Singular terms in true sentences must refer to objects; there is no further question about their existence [Wright,C]
     Full Idea: When a class of terms functions as singular terms, and the sentences are true, then those terms genuinely refer. Being singular terms, their reference is to objects. There is no further question whether they really refer, and there are such objects.
     From: Crispin Wright (Frege's Concept of Numbers as Objects [1983], 1.iii)
     A reaction: This seems to be a key sentence, because this whole view is standardly called 'platonic', but it certainly isn't platonism as we know it, Jim. Ontology has become an entirely linguistic matter, but do we then have 'sakes' and 'whereaboutses'?