Single Idea 10488

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 1. Universals]

Full Idea

It's a kind of lunacy to think that sound scientific philosophy demands that we think that we see ink-tracks but not words, i.e. word-types.

Gist of Idea

It is lunacy to think we only see ink-marks, and not word-types

Source

George Boolos (Must We Believe in Set Theory? [1997], p.128)

Book Reference

Boolos,George: 'Logic, Logic and Logic' [Harvard 1999], p.128


A Reaction

This seems to link him with Armstrong's mockery of 'ostrich nominalism'. There seems to be some ambiguity with the word 'see' in this disagreement. When we look at very ancient scratches on stones, why don't we always 'see' if it is words?