Full Idea
Quine's test for ontological commitment ignores the fact that there are often implicit commitments to certain kinds of entities even where we are not yet quantifying over them.
Gist of Idea
You can be implicitly committed to something without quantifying over it
Source
comment on Willard Quine (Existence and Quantification [1966]) by Amie L. Thomasson - Ordinary Objects 09.4
Book Reference
Thomasson,Amie L.: 'Ordinary Objects' [OUP 2010], p.167
A Reaction
Put this with the obvious problem (of which Quine is aware) that we don't quantify over 'sakes' in 'for the sake of the children', and quantification and commitment have been rather clearly pulled apart.
Related Idea
Idea 14489 Theories do not avoid commitment to entities by avoiding certain terms or concepts [Thomasson]