Deflating Existential Consequence: A Case for NominalismOxford University Press, 08.01.2004 - 256 Seiten If we must take mathematical statements to be true, must we also believe in the existence of abstracta eternal invisible mathematical objects accessible only by the power of pure thought? Jody Azzouni says no, and he claims that the way to escape such commitments is to accept (as an essential part of scientific doctrine) true statements which are about objects that don't exist in any sense at all. Azzouni illustrates what the metaphysical landscape looks like once we avoid a militant Realism which forces our commitment to anything that our theories quantify. Escaping metaphysical straitjackets (such as the correspondence theory of truth), while retaining the insight that some truths are about objects that do exist, Azzouni says that we can sort scientifically-given objects into two categories: ones which exist, and to which we forge instrumental access in order to learn their properties, and ones which do not, that is, which are made up in exactly the same sense that fictional objects are. He offers as a case study a small portion of Newtonian physics, and one result of his classification of its ontological commitments, is that it does not commit us to absolute space and time. |
Inhalt
1 | |
Circumventing Commitment to Truth despite Empirical | 29 |
Criteria for the Ontological Commitments of Discourse | 49 |
Criteria for What Exists | 81 |
Applied Mathematics and Its Posits | 123 |
Posits and Existence | 143 |
Two Models | 160 |
Applied Mathematics and Ontology | 181 |
Conclusion | 222 |
235 | |
Andere Ausgaben - Alle anzeigen
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
anaphora applied mathematics argue argument blind truth ascriptions body of beliefs carry ontological commitment causally efficacious chapter claim cohesive bodies confirmation holism constitutive relations context course depictions described discussion domain of discourse empirical domain empirical theory epistemology Euclidean Euclidean geometry example existence predicate existential explanation fictional entities fictional mice fictional objects first-order forces forge thick epistemic gravitational implications indispensable instantiation instrumental language linguistic logical lumps mass material points mathematical abstracta mathematical doctrine mathematical objects matter metalanguage metaphysical Mickey Mouse motion Newtonian nominalist objectual quantifiers observation Occam's Razor ontological commitment ontologically independent option ordinary paraphrase philosophers physical point-masses possible properties quantifier commitments Quine Quine's criterion refer regimented role schema scientific theory semantics sense set of sentences sort space-time space-time points statements subatomic particles take to exist thick epistemic access thin posits things tion true truth idiom truth predicate ultrathin vernacular what's
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