Single Idea 10267

[catalogued under 5. Theory of Logic / G. Quantification / 6. Plural Quantification]

Full Idea

Standard second-order existential quantifiers pick out a class or a property, but Boolos suggests that they be understood as a plural quantifier, like 'there are objects' or 'there are people'.

Gist of Idea

We should understand second-order existential quantifiers as plural quantifiers

Source

report of George Boolos (To be is to be the value of a variable.. [1984]) by Stewart Shapiro - Philosophy of Mathematics 7.4

Book Reference

Shapiro,Stewart: 'Philosophy of Mathematics:structure and ontology' [OUP 1997], p.234


A Reaction

This idea has potential application to mathematics, and Lewis (1991, 1993) 'invokes it to develop an eliminative structuralism' (Shapiro).