Single Idea 10700

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / b. Commitment of quantifiers]

Full Idea

Ontological commitment is carried by first-order quantifiers; a second-order quantifier needn't be taken to be a first-order quantifier in disguise, having special items, collections, as its range. They are two ways of referring to the same things.

Gist of Idea

First- and second-order quantifiers are two ways of referring to the same things

Source

George Boolos (To be is to be the value of a variable.. [1984], p.72)

Book Reference

Boolos,George: 'Logic, Logic and Logic' [Harvard 1999], p.72


A Reaction

If second-order quantifiers are just a way of referring, then we can see first-order quantifiers that way too, so we could deny 'objects'.