Cogprints
Login | Create Account

A Polar Concept Argument for the Existence of Abstracta

Franceschi, Paul (2004) A Polar Concept Argument for the Existence of Abstracta. [Preprint]

This is the latest version of this eprint.

Full text available as:

[img]
Preview
PDF - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
92Kb

Abstract

I present a polar concept argument for the existence of abstract objects. After recalling the fundamentals of the debate about the existence of abstracta, I present in a detailed way the argument for the existence of abstracta. I offer two different variations of the argument: one, deductive and the other, inductive. The argument rests primarily on the fact that our universe is well-balanced. This well-balanced property results from the fact that all instantiable polar dualities are instantiated. Hence, the abstract pole of the abstract/concrete duality must also be exemplified. Lastly, I review several objections that can be raised against the present argument.

Item Type:Preprint
Keywords:abstracta, polar concept argument, polar contraries
Subjects:Philosophy > Metaphysics
ID Code:3636
Deposited By:Franceschi, Paul
Deposited On:15 May 2004
Last Modified:12 Sep 2007 17:52

Available Versions of this Item

References in Article

Select the SEEK icon to attempt to find the referenced article. If it does not appear to be in cogprints you will be forwarded to the paracite service. Poorly formated references will probably not work.

Colyvan, M. (2001) "Indispensability Arguments in the Philosophy of Mathematics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2001 Edition), E. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2001/entries/mathphil-indis.

Field, H. (1980) Science Without Numbers: A Defence of Nominalism, Oxford: Blackwell.

Grayling, A. C. (1995) "Scepticism", Philosophy A guide through the subject, Grayling, G. (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lowe, E. J. (1995) "The Metaphysics of Abstract Objects", Journal of Philosophy 92, 509-24.

Maddy, P. (1992) "Indispensability and Practice", Journal of Philosophy, 89-6, 275-289.

Rosen, G. (2001) "Abstract Objects", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2001 Edition), E. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2001/entries/abstract-objects.

Ross, H. (1995) The Creator and the Cosmos, Colorado: Navpress Colorado Springs.

Ryle, G. (1960) Dilemmas, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Soames, S. (1999) Understanding Truth, New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Sober, E. (1993) "Mathematics and Indispensability", Philosophical Review, 102-1, 35-57.

Tegmark, M. (2003) "Parallel Universes", to appear in Science and Ultimate Reality: From Quantum to Cosmos, J.D. Barrow, P.C.W. Davies, & C.L. Harper eds., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2003), at arXiv:astro-ph/0302131 v1 7 Feb 2003.

Metadata

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Cogprints is powered by EPrints 3 which is developed by the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton. More information and software credits.