Single Idea 10816

[catalogued under 5. Theory of Logic / E. Structures of Logic / 6. Relations in Logic]

Full Idea

We can simulate quantification over relations using megethology. Roughly, a quantifier over relations is a plural quantifier over things that encode ordered pairs by mereological means.

Clarification

For 'megethology' see Idea 10806

Gist of Idea

We can use mereology to simulate quantification over relations

Source

David Lewis (Mathematics is Megethology [1993], p.18)

Book Reference

-: 'Philosophia Mathematica' [-], p.18

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A Reaction

[He credits this idea to Burgess and Haven] The point is to avoid second-order logic, which quantifies over relations as ordered n-tuple sets.