Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Carnap and Logical Truth', 'Freedom and Action' and 'Philosophy of Logic'

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2 ideas

8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 1. Nominalism / a. Nominalism

18957	Nominalism only makes sense if it is materialist [Putnam]
	Full Idea: Nominalists must at heart be materialists, or so it seems to me: otherwise their scruples are unintelligible.
	From: Hilary Putnam (Philosophy of Logic [1971], Ch.5)
	A reaction: This is modern nominalism - the rejection of abstract objects. I largely plead guilty to both charges.

8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 1. Nominalism / b. Nominalism about universals

9006	Commitment to universals is as arbitrary or pragmatic as the adoption of a new system of bookkeeping [Quine]
	Full Idea: One's hypothesis as to there being universals is at bottom just as arbitrary or pragmatic a matter as one's adoption of a new brand of set theory or even a new system of bookkeeping.
	From: Willard Quine (Carnap and Logical Truth [1954], x)
	A reaction: This spells out clearly the strongly pragmatist vein in Quine's thinking.