Edward N. Zalta
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Transworld Heir Lines 89
Transworld Heir Lines 89 It is desirable that symposia be limited to nine; 4 and, It is believable that nine is prime illustrate such contexts. These occurrences ofthe word "nine" are neither Transworld Heir Lines . so vulgar as that in Nine is larger than five DA VID KAPLAN nor so accidental as that in University of California, Los Angeles Canines are larger than felines. Presumably there are no logical or semantical problems concerned with vulgar or accidental occurrences. Vulgar occurrences of "nine" denote a certain number, are open to substitution and generalization, and contribute to the meaning of the containing sentence. Accidental occurrences are A certain kind of linguistic context has come in for increasing attention ! irrelevant to all such concerns. But analysis of the intermediate contexts over the past several years. The occurrences of the word "nine" in produced by "provable," "possible," "permissible," "probable," "be lievable, " and "desirable" is neither trivial nor pointless. It is provable in arithmetic that nine is the square of three; Gottlob Frege, who tried to assimilate such intermediate occurrences to It is possible that the number of planets is nine; the vulgar ones by means of a doctrine about ambiguity and indirect deno It is permissible that the number of occupants exceed nine; .tation, called such contexts "oblique" or "indirect." W. V. O. Quine, It is probable that the number of enrolled students will be less than who often seems to want to assimilate the intermediate occurrences to nine; accidental ones by means of a doctrine of indissolubility, calls such con texts opaque. Copyright © 1978 by David Kaplan. -
Steps Toward a Computational Metaphysics∗ Ideal for the Exposition of Philosophical Theories
Branden Fitelson & Edward N. Zalta 2 one. Since ancient times the axiomatic method has been important to philosophers both as an example of successful systematization in specific sciences (e.g., optics, acoustics and mathematics) as well as a possible Steps Toward a Computational Metaphysics∗ ideal for the exposition of philosophical theories. While the history of the application of the axiomatic method in philosophy is complex (Man- Branden Fitelson cosu 1996, 232, note 39), there is no doubt that Spinoza 1677 is the best known example of this tendency. Leibniz went a step further by including University of California–Berkeley a computational component, as can be seen from the following:1 and characteristica universalis Edward N. Zalta If we had it [a ], we should be able to reason in metaphysics and morals in much the same way as in Stanford University geometry and analysis. (Russell 1900, 169) If controversies were to arise, there would be no more need of dis- putation between two philosophers than between two accountants. Abstract For it would suffice to take their pencils in their hands, to sit down In this paper, the authors describe their initial investigations to their slates, and to say to each other . : Let us calculate. in computational metaphysics. Our method is to implement ax- (Russell 1900, 170) iomatic metaphysics in an automated reasoning system. In this paper, we describe what we have discovered when the theory of ab- Notice that the Latin word Russell translates as ‘accountants’ is ‘Com- prover9 stract objects is implemented in (a first-order automated putistas’, and the Latin word translated as ‘slates’ is ‘abacos’. -
Existence As a Real Property
Francesco Berto Existence as a Real Property The Ontology of Meinongianism For Graham Priest, Long-distance teacher Prologue: Much Ado About Nothing Some philosophers think that something’s having intuitive content is very inconclusive evidence in favor of it. I think it is very heavy evidence in favor of anything, myself. I really don’t know, in a way, what more conclusive evidence one can have about anything, ultimately speaking. –Saul Kripke, Naming and Necessity 1 In an episode of The Today Show of some years ago, Gene Shalit – NBC’s film and book critic, famous for his wits – reviews several books sharing the feature of bearing entertaining titles. The highpoint of the monologue comes with Nonexistent Objects, by the UCLA philosopher Terence Parsons. Shalit wonders how one could write a whole book on things that do not exist!1 This whole book, too, is about things that do not exist. But if one stops to think, one may find that, in a sense, there is nothing special about this. There are, in fact, thousands of books speaking about unreal things. You have probably read quite a few of them: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories portrait the adventures of the detective Sherlock Holmes; The Lord of the Rings speaks at length of Gandalf the wizard. Doyle represents Sherlock Holmes as a detective living in London, Baker Street (precisely, at number 221b), describes his remarkable observational and deductive abilities, makes of him the arch-enemy of the criminal mastermind Moriarty. J.R.R. Tolkien characterizes Gandalf as a wizard with a pointy hat and a grey robe (a white one, from a certain point of the story onwards), a heavy pipe-herb 1 The anecdote is reported by Roy Sorensen [2003], p. -
Ernst Mally's Theory of Properties!
ERNST MALLY'S THEORY OF PROPERTIES! Roberto POLl University of Trento 1. Of Meinong's pupils, Ernst Mally is the one who probably made the most significant contribution to furthering the ideas of his teacher.2 It is sufficient, in this regard, to cite Meinong's explicit acknowledgement of Mally's work in his "The Theory ofObjects".3 Of greatest importance in this respect are Mally's unravelling of the distinction between Sein and Sosein4 and between nuclear and extra-nuclear properties,S and his introduction of important termi nological refinements which for the most part Meinong accepted.6 Nevertheless, the recent revival of interest in Meinong's theories has not been matched by equal consideration of Mally's work and insights. If we inspect the literature of the last fifteen years, it is immediately apparent that the overwhelming majority of references to Mally concern just two passages in his works, the two that Findlay quotes and comments on in his classic book on Meinong.7 One 1. I thank Liliana A1bertazzi, Johannes Brandl, Rudolf Haller, Dale Jacquette, Karl Schuhmann, Barry Smith and Jan Wo1enski for their comments on a previous version of this paper. 2. Ernst Mally was born in Krainburg (now Kranj, Yugoslavia) in 1879 and died in Graz in 1944. He studied philosophy, mathematics and physics at the University of Graz and in 1913 wrote his dissertation in philosophy under Meinong's supervision. On Meinong's death he was appointed director of the psychology laboratory that has been established by Meinong. In 1925 he became full professor and retained his chair in the university until 1942. -
The Intentionality Thesis and Its Developments: from Brentano to Meinong, Husserl, Ehrenfels and Mally
o THE INTENTIONALITY THESIS AND ITS DEVELOPMENTSphilosophy,... N 2(26), june - 2013 THE INTENTIONALITY THESIS AND ITS DEVELOPMENTS: FROM BRENTANO TO MEINONG, HUSSERL, EHRENFELS AND MALLY Winfried Löffler (*) ccording to Otto Neurath and via his prominent pupils – was one of Rudolf Haller, philosophy in the most influential philosophers in Austria in the 19th and early European philosophy of all times. It is 20th had a very special character, and true that one important root of it is one of the main roots of modern analytic philosophy is the Austro - analytic philosophy: It was open to Polish one which essentially goes the sciences, it was anti-idealistic and back to Brentano, his pupils (like realistic in its ontological tendencies, Meinong and Twardowski) and it had an empiricist tendency and it second-generation-pupils (like Mally, went back to the longer influence of Łukasiewicz, and Tarski).(*)Furthermore, Catholic scholastic philosophy and the Brentano’s influence contributed to Leibniz - Wolff rationalism. This in the appointment of Ernst Mach as turn has to do with the Catholicism of professor in Vienna, and this endorsed the Habsburg emperors, and it a science-friendly climate among prevented a stronger reception of the philosophers and a broader audience. philosophies of Kant and the German Interestingly, also the phenomenological Idealists. Barry Smith proposed an movement – today often seen in harsh addition to this thesis: The central opposition to analytic philosophy – figure for this so - called “Austrian originates in Brentano and his school. philosophy” was Franz Brentano Edmund Husserl writes that without (1838 - 1917); he served as a professor his teacher Brentano, he would not in Vienna from 1874 to 1880 and then have turned into a philosopher, and as a private docent till 1895. -
Phil. Colloquium Archives 2018
FALL 2018 1. Friday, September 14, 2018 - 3:00pm, BEH 215 "Defending Deflationism from a Forceful Objection." James Woodbridge, Department of Philosophy, University of Nevada Las Vegas This talk presents work done in collaboration with Brad Armour-Garb. We offer a unified picture of deflationism about truth, by explaining the proper way to understand the interrelations between (what Bar-On and Simmons (2007) call) conceptual, linguistic and metaphysical deflationism. I will then present our defense of deflationism against Bar-On and Simmons (2007)'s objection that conceptual deflationism is incompatible with the explanatory role the concept of truth plays in an account of assertion or assertoric illocutionary force. We defend deflationism, rather than just conceptual deflationism, because we take Bar-On and Simmons's stance on their target to involve a mistake. They purport to raise an objection merely to conceptual deflationism, putting the issues involved in metaphysical deflationism and linguistic deflationism to one side. I will explain how that cannot really be done because it mistakenly treats the three categories of deflationary views as running independently and as being at the same theoretical level. As we argue, given the relationships between them, a challenge to conceptual deflationism would flow upward and would amount to a challenge to linguistic deflationism, too, and, thus, to deflationism as a whole. Having defended conceptual deflationism against Bar-On and Simmon's objection, we conclude that deflationism about truth, understood primarily as a view about truth- talk, but with the other theses that brings with it, remains a viable position to endorse. 2. Friday, October 5, 2018 - 3:00pm, BEH 215 "Theorizing Testimony in Argumentative Contexts: Problems for Assurance." David Godden, Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University Standardly the testimonial acceptance of some claim, p, is analyzed as some subject, S, accepting that p on the basis of another's say-so. -
The Oberlin Colloquium in Philosophy: Program History
The Oberlin Colloquium in Philosophy: Program History 1960 FIRST COLLOQUIUM Wilfrid Sellars, "On Looking at Something and Seeing it" Ronald Hepburn, "God and Ambiguity" Comments: Dennis O'Brien Kurt Baier, "Itching and Scratching" Comments: David Falk/Bruce Aune Annette Baier, "Motives" Comments: Jerome Schneewind 1961 SECOND COLLOQUIUM W.D. Falk, "Hegel, Hare and the Existential Malady" Richard Cartwright, "Propositions" Comments: Ruth Barcan Marcus D.A.T. Casking, "Avowals" Comments: Martin Lean Zeno Vendler, "Consequences, Effects and Results" Comments: William Dray/Sylvan Bromberger PUBLISHED: Analytical Philosophy, First Series, R.J. Butler (ed.), Oxford, Blackwell's, 1962. 1962 THIRD COLLOQUIUM C.J. Warnock, "Truth" Arthur Prior, "Some Exercises in Epistemic Logic" Newton Garver, "Criteria" Comments: Carl Ginet/Paul Ziff Hector-Neri Castenada, "The Private Language Argument" Comments: Vere Chappell/James Thomson John Searle, "Meaning and Speech Acts" Comments: Paul Benacerraf/Zeno Vendler PUBLISHED: Knowledge and Experience, C.D. Rollins (ed.), University of Pittsburgh Press, 1964. 1963 FOURTH COLLOQUIUM Michael Scriven, "Insanity" Frederick Will, "The Preferability of Probable Beliefs" Norman Malcolm, "Criteria" Comments: Peter Geach/George Pitcher Terrence Penelhum, "Pleasure and Falsity" Comments: William Kennick/Arnold Isenberg 1964 FIFTH COLLOQUIUM Stephen Korner, "Some Remarks on Deductivism" J.J.C. Smart, "Nonsense" Joel Feinberg, "Causing Voluntary Actions" Comments: Keith Donnellan/Keith Lehrer Nicholas Rescher, "Evaluative Metaphysics" Comments: Lewis W. Beck/Thomas E. Patton Herbert Hochberg, "Qualities" Comments: Richard Severens/J.M. Shorter PUBLISHED: Metaphysics and Explanation, W.H. Capitan and D.D. Merrill (eds.), University of Pittsburgh Press, 1966. 1965 SIXTH COLLOQUIUM Patrick Nowell-Smith, "Acts and Locutions" George Nakhnikian, "St. Anselm's Four Ontological Arguments" Hilary Putnam, "Psychological Predicates" Comments: Bruce Aune/U.T. -
A Chapter Three
SSStttooonnnyyy BBBrrrooooookkk UUUnnniiivvveeerrrsssiiitttyyy The official electronic file of this thesis or dissertation is maintained by the University Libraries on behalf of The Graduate School at Stony Brook University. ©©© AAAllllll RRRiiiggghhhtttsss RRReeessseeerrrvvveeeddd bbbyyy AAAuuuttthhhooorrr... The Science of Right in Leibniz’s Practical Philosophy A Dissertation Presented by Christopher Lowell Johns to The Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy Stony Brook University August 2007 Copyright by Christopher Lowell Johns August 2007 Stony Brook University The Graduate School Christopher Lowell Johns We, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend acceptance of this dissertation. Jeffrey B. Edwards (Dissertation Advisor) Associate Professor Department of Philosophy Allegra de Laurentiis (Chairperson of the Defense) Associate Professor Department of Philosophy Clyde Lee Miller (Department Reader) Professor Department of Philosophy Manfred Baum (Outside Reader) Professor of Philosophy Bergische Universität Wuppertal This dissertation is accepted by the Graduate School Lawrence Martin Dean of the Graduate School ii Abstract of the Dissertation The Science of Right in Leibniz’s Practical Philosophy by Christopher Lowell Johns Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy Stony Brook University 2007 This dissertation examines a neglected area of Leibniz’s philosophy, namely, natural right ( jus ). Contrary to -
Problems for Temporary Existence in Tense Logic Meghan Sullivan* Notre Dame
Philosophy Compass 7/1 (2012): 43–57, 10.1111/j.1747-9991.2011.00457.x Problems for Temporary Existence in Tense Logic Meghan Sullivan* Notre Dame Abstract A-theorists of time postulate a deep distinction between the present, past and future. Settling on an appropriate logic for such a view is no easy matter. This Philosophy Compass article describes one of the most vexing formal problems facing A-theorists. It is commonly thought that A-theo- ries can only be formally expressed in a tense logic: a logic with operators like P (‘‘it was the case that’’) and F (‘‘it will be the case that’’). And it seems natural to think that we live in a world where objects come to exist and cease to exist as time passes. Indeed, this is typically a key component of the most prominent kind of A-theory, presentism. But the temporary existence assumption cannot be upheld in any tense logic with a standard quantification theory. I will explain the problem and outline the philosophical and logical considerations that generate it. I will then consider two possible solutions to the problem – one that targets our logic of quantification and one that targets our assumptions about change. I survey the costs of each solution. 1. Univocal Existence and Temporary Existence Metaphysicians should be applauded when they make efforts to be sensible. Here are two particular convictions about existence and change that seem worthy of defense: UNIVOCAL EXISTENCE: There is just one way that objects exist; and TEMPORARY EXISTENCE: Some objects came to exist or will cease to exist. -
Meinong's General Theory of Objects
Meinong's General Theory of Objects https://www.ontology.co/meinonga.htm Theory and History of Ontology by Raul Corazzon | e-mail: [email protected] Alexius Meinong's Theory of Objects INTRODUCTION: THE INFLUENCE OF MEINONG "Nowadays, a need for formal tools is strongly felt in the treatment of two special areas of ontological inquiry. One area is concerned with intentional objects, an area which seems to contain difficulties on the level of things, but also on the level of states of affairs, facts and other "propositional" entities. An intentional relation holds between either persons (more generally experiencing subjects) or acts of consciousness on the one hand, and the intentional objects on the other. The latter are what people see, fear, expect, look for; and the problem, naturally, consists in the fact that – contrary to usual predication – the predicates in question truly apply to intentional objects which do not exist in the same sense as my cat in "My cat is on the mat". In short: "We are thinking about Sherlock Holmes" may be true (and in fact is true while we are writing the sentence) in a real-world-context, but "Sherlock Holmes lives on Baker Street" can be true only inside the fictive context of the novels. Nevertheless, intuitively everybody can think about Sherlock Holmes in just the same sense as he can think about Baker Street, which "really" exists in London. Historically, this problem of intentional objects forms one of the roots of formal ontology, as well as of the philosophy of mind. One of the most influential thinkers of ontology at the beginning of our century was the Austrian philosopher Alexius Meinong, Ritter von Handschuchsheim. -
Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association
January 2008 Volume 81, Issue 3 Proceedings and Addresses of The American Philosophical Association apa The AmericAn PhilosoPhicAl Association Pacific Division Program University of Delaware Newark, DE 19716 www.apaonline.org The American Philosophical Association Pacific Division Eighty-Second Annual Meeting Hilton Pasadena Pasadena, CA March 18 - 23, 2008 Proceedings and Addresses of The American Philosophical Association Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association (ISSN 0065-972X) is published five times each year and is distributed to members of the APA as a benefit of membership and to libraries, departments, and institutions for $75 per year. It is published by The American Philosophical Association, 31 Amstel Ave., University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716. Periodicals Postage Paid at Newark, DE and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Proceedings and Addresses, The American Philosophical Association, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716. Editor: David E. Schrader Phone: (302) 831-1112 Publications Coordinator: Erin Shepherd Fax: (302) 831-8690 Associate Editor: Anita Silvers Web: www.apaonline.org Meeting Coordinator: Linda Smallbrook Proceedings and Addresses of The American Philosophical Association, the major publication of The American Philosophical Association, is published five times each academic year in the months of September, November, January, February, and May. Each annual volume contains the programs for the meetings of the three Divisions; the membership list; Presidential Addresses; news of the Association, its Divisions and Committees, and announcements of interest to philosophers. Other items of interest to the community of philosophers may be included by decision of the Editor or the APA Board of Officers. Microfilm copies are available through National Archive Publishing Company, Periodicals/Acquisitions Dept., P.O. -
On Sober Platonism
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO Dipartimento di Filosofia UNIVERSITÉ PARIS 1 PANTHEON-SORBONNE IHPST - Insistut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques Costanza Brevini On Sober Platonism New Perspectives in Mathematical Platonism Beyond Strong Ontological Assumptions March, 4th 2016 SUPERVISORS: Marco Panza, Miriam Franchella MEMBERS OF THE JURY: Andrea Bottani Brice Halimi Sebastien Gandon Agustìn Rayo Andrea Sereni To you, the daring venturers and adventurers, and whoever hath embarked with cunning sails upon frightful seas; To you the enigma-intoxicated, the twilight-enjoyers, whose souls are allured by flutes to every treacherous gulf. NIETZSCHE, FRIEDRICH, Thus Spoke Zarathustra !2 TABLE OF CONTENTS: SINTESI 5 RÉSUMÉ 8 ABSTRACT 11 PRELIMINARY REMARKS 15 CHAPTER 1: PLATONISM 25 1.1 FROM PLATO TO CONTEMPORARY PLATONISM 25 1.2 INDEPENDENCE 30 1.3 EXISTENCE 35 1.4 EPISTEMOLOGY 40 1.4.1 THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE 41 1.4.2 TRUTH 45 1.4.3 REFERENCE 50 1.5 SOBER PLATONISM 54 CHAPTER 2: FULL-BLOODED PLATONISM 62 2.1 INTRODUCTION 62 2.1.1 THE PROBLEM OF FORMALIZATION 64 2.2 EPISTEMOLOGY 66 2.2.1 THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT 66 2.2.2 THE FULL-BLOODED SOLUTION 70 2.3 CONSISTENCY 75 2.4 MATHEMATICAL CORRECTNESS AND MATHEMATICAL TRUTH 82 2.4.1 HOW TO DEAL WITH UNDECIDABLE SENTENCES IN MATHEMATICS 83 2.5 NON-UNIQUENESS 87 2.6 A DEFENSE OF FULL-BLOODED PLATONISM 93 CHAPTER 3: STRUCTURALISM 99 3.1 STRUCTURALISM 99 3.2 EXISTENCE 105 3.4 AXIOMS 114 3.5 EPISTEMOLOGY 118 3.6 REFERENCE 126 !3 3.7 STRUCTURALISM AND CAESAR’S PROBLEM 129 3.8