Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Abstract Objects: a Case Study', 'Commentary on 'De Anima'' and 'Things'

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6 ideas

6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 6. Logicism / c. Neo-logicism

10580	Mathematics is both necessary and a priori because it really consists of logical truths [Yablo]
	Full Idea: Mathematics seems necessary because the real contents of mathematical statements are logical truths, which are necessary, and it seems a priori because logical truths really are a priori.
	From: Stephen Yablo (Abstract Objects: a Case Study [2002], 10)
	A reaction: Yablo says his logicism has a Kantian strain, because numbers and sets 'inscribed on our spectacles', but he takes a different view (in the present Idea) from Kant about where the necessity resides. Personally I am tempted by an a posteriori necessity.

6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 9. Fictional Mathematics

10579	Putting numbers in quantifiable position (rather than many quantifiers) makes expression easier [Yablo]
	Full Idea: Saying 'the number of Fs is 5', instead of using five quantifiers, puts the numeral in quantifiable position, which brings expressive advantages. 'There are more sheep in the field than cows' is an infinite disjunction, expressible in finite compass.
	From: Stephen Yablo (Abstract Objects: a Case Study [2002], 08)
	A reaction: See Hofweber with similar thoughts. This idea I take to be a key one in explaining many metaphysical confusions. The human mind just has a strong tendency to objectify properties, relations, qualities, categories etc. - for expression and for reasoning.

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

10577	Concrete objects have few essential properties, but properties of abstractions are mostly essential [Yablo]
	Full Idea: Objects like me have a few essential properties, and numerous accidental ones. Abstract objects are a different story. The intrinsic properties of the empty set are mostly essential. The relations of numbers are also mostly essential.
	From: Stephen Yablo (Abstract Objects: a Case Study [2002], 01)

10578	We are thought to know concreta a posteriori, and many abstracta a priori [Yablo]
	Full Idea: Our knowledge of concreta is a posteriori, but our knowledge of numbers, at least, has often been considered a priori.
	From: Stephen Yablo (Abstract Objects: a Case Study [2002], 02)

9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 2. Abstract Objects / c. Modern abstracta

7783	Bodies, properties, relations, events, numbers, sets and propositions are 'things' if they exist [Lowe]
	Full Idea: Not only material bodies but also properties, relations, events, numbers, sets, and propositions are—if they are acknowledged as existing—to be accounted ‘things’.
	From: E.J. Lowe (Things [1995])
	A reaction: There might be lots of borderline cases here. Is the sky a thing? Is air a thing? How is transparency a thing? Is minus-one a thing? Is an incomplete proposition a thing? Etc.

22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / e. Death

16764	The soul conserves the body, as we see by its dissolution when the soul leaves [Toletus]
	Full Idea: Every accident of a living thing, as well as all its organs and temperaments and its dispositions are conserved by the soul. We see this from experience, since when that soul recedes, all these dissolve and become corrupted.
	From: Franciscus Toletus (Commentary on 'De Anima' [1572], II.1.1), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 24.5
	A reaction: A nice example of observing a phenemonon, but not being able to observe the dependence relation the right way round. Compare Descartes in Idea 16763.