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Re: [ontolog-forum] Ontological Assumptions of FOL

To: "[ontolog-forum]" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: p.m.simons@xxxxxxxxxxx
From: Ingvar Johansson <ingvar.johansson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2007 12:39:36 +0100
Message-id: <45FD24F8.5070405@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Pat Hayes schrieb:
>
> If you can represent it as a set, then it is a set.
>       (01)

>> That doesn't mean the universe "is" a set.  To say that something can
>> be represented as a set for purposes of defining truth-values of
>> sentences is a very different thing from saying it IS a set.
>>     
>
> I disagree. I think these are exactly the same 
> thing to say. To say that a collection is a set 
> is to say nothing about it at all.
>       (02)

In many philosophical contexts it is important to keep *sets* (abstract 
non-temporal entities) whose members are spatiotemporal entities 
distinct from the *aggregate* (Mario Bunge) or the *collection* (Peter 
Simons) of the same spatiotemporal entities. However, in many contexts 
it doesn't matter whether one talks of sets or of 
aggregates/collections. I guess Pat Hayes is working within the latter 
kind of contexts; it is a pity that it misleads him into thinking that 
"what you can represent as a set, is a set".    (03)

Recommended reading: Peter Simons, “Against Set Theory”. In Experience 
and Analysis . Proceedings of the 2004 Wittgenstein Symposium, ed. J. C. 
Marek and M. E. Reicher. Vienna: öbv&hpt, 2005, 143–152.    (04)

Best wishes from,
Ingvar J (the real one, not the corresponding singleton set)    (05)


-- 
Ingvar Johansson
IFOMIS, Saarland University
     home site: http://ifomis.org/
     personal home site:
     http://hem.passagen.se/ijohansson/index.html      (06)



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