Plural predication
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy, February 2001.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | eng |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2009
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| Online Access: | http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/8763 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8763 |
| _version_ | 1811089795456172032 |
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| author | Rayo, Agustín, 1973- |
| author2 | Vann McGee. |
| author_facet | Vann McGee. Rayo, Agustín, 1973- |
| author_sort | Rayo, Agustín, 1973- |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy, February 2001. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:24:48Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/8763 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:24:48Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/87632019-04-12T08:50:17Z Plural predication Rayo, Agustín, 1973- Vann McGee. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy. Linguistics and Philosophy. Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy, February 2001. Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-89). My thesis consists of three self-contained but interconnected papers. In the first one, 'Word and Objects', I assume that it is possible to quantify over absolutely everything, and show that certain English sentences containing collective predicates resist paraphrase in first-order languages and even in first-order languages enriched with plural quantifiers. To capture such sentences I develop a language containing plural predicates. The introduction of plural predicates leads to an extension of Quine's criterion of ontological commitment. I argue that theories containing plural predicates can have plural ontological commitments in addition to singular ones. In this sense, I argue that the subject-matter of ontology is richer than one might have thought. Plural predicates turn out to be tremendously fruitful. For example, they provide us with natural formalizations for English plural definite descriptions and generalized quantifiers. They also allow us to state important set theoretic propositions, and give a formal semantics for second-order languages. Such a formal semantics is developed in the second paper, 'Toward a Theory of Second-Order Consequence', which is a collaboration with Gabriel Uzquiano. In the third paper, 'Frege's Unofficial Arithmetic', I consider an application of plural predicates to the philosophy of mathematics. By developing a suggestion of the later Frege, I show that any arithmetical predicate can be transformed into a plural predicate in such a way that the arithmetical predicate is true of the number of the Fs just in case the plural predicate is true of the Fs themselves. The transformation is important both because it can be put to use by nominalists about arithmetic and neo-Fregeans, and because it provides the foundations for an account of applied arithmetic. by Agustín Rayo. Words and objects -- Toward a theory of second-order consequence -- Fregg's unofficial arithmetic. Ph.D. 2009-01-13T19:13:43Z 2009-01-13T19:13:43Z 2000 2001 Thesis http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/8763 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8763 48123914 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/8763 http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 89 p. application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Linguistics and Philosophy. Rayo, Agustín, 1973- Plural predication |
| title | Plural predication |
| title_full | Plural predication |
| title_fullStr | Plural predication |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plural predication |
| title_short | Plural predication |
| title_sort | plural predication |
| topic | Linguistics and Philosophy. |
| url | http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/8763 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8763 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rayoagustin1973 pluralpredication |