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Re: [ontolog-forum] standard ontology

To: "'[ontolog-forum] '" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Matthew West <dr.matthew.west@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:16:25 -0000
Message-id: <49928966.1c1d640a.0692.ffff94f2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Dear John,    (01)

> Chris,
> 
> I agree that Quine admitted sets into his ontology.
> 
> CM> If, however, you mean someone who  rejects the existence
>  > of all abstract entities across the board, then Quine was
>  > no nominalist, as he argued that quantification over
>  > mathematical objects (specifically, sets) is indispensable
>  > to science.
> 
> But Alonzo Church, who allowed much richer abstract objects
> into his ontology, delivered a wonderful talk at Harvard with
> the explicit intention of annoying Quine and Nelson Goodman:
> 
>     http://www.jfsowa.com/ontology/church.htm
>     The ontological status of women and abstract entities    (02)

[MW] I think there are two different questions here:    (03)

1. Are there certain things like e.g. numbers and possible worlds?    (04)

2. Are they abstract or concrete?    (05)

Even the first may be controversial, but even if you agree that these things
exist, whether they are considered abstract or not is a different question
(and arguably more controversial).    (06)

Regards    (07)

Matthew West                            
Information  Junction
Tel: +44 560 302 3685
Mobile: +44 750 3385279
matthew.west@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.matthew-west.org.uk/    (08)

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