Topic
Existential generalization
About: Existential generalization is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 54 publications have been published within this topic receiving 795 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
Book•
29 Jun 1988
TL;DR: Zalta as mentioned in this paper proposes a formal system for representing and explaining the apparent failures of certain important principles of inference and intentional states, mental states such as beliefs, hopes, and desires, that are directed toward the world.
Abstract: In this book, Edward N. Zalta tackles the issues that arise in connection with intensional logic and intentional states. In this book, Edward N. Zalta tackles the issues that arise in connection with intensional logic - a formal system for representing and explaining the apparent failures of certain important principles of inference - and intentional states - mental states such as beliefs, hopes, and desires, that are directed toward the world. His theory not only offers a unified explanation of the various kinds of inferential failures associated with intensional logic, but also unifies the study of intensional contexts and intentional states by grounding the explanation of both phenomena in a single theory. Zalta shows that an axiomatized realm of abstract entities, when added to the metaphysical structure of the world, can be used to identify and individuate the contents of directed mental states. These special abstract entities can be viewed as the objectified contents of mental files and they play a crucial role in the analysis of the truth conditions of the sentences involved in the inference failures. The intentional logic Zalta develops, unlike others, can analyze a wide variety of failures involving the principles of substitutivity, existential generalization, and strong extensionality. A Bradford Book.
267 citations
89 citations
75 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that two equal-length predicates are equivalent and are not existentially definable by equations in concatenation and by adding a further length predicate, one gets an undecidable existential theory.
Abstract: We study extensions of the decidable existential theory of concatenation over words. We show that two equal-length predicates are equivalent and are not existentially definable by equations in concatenation. By adding a further length predicate we get an undecidable existential theory. Whether the existential theory of concatenation and equal length is decidable remains unknown.
75 citations
1 Jun 1995
TL;DR: Parson and Woodruff as mentioned in this paper show that the assumption that arbitrary abstracts both stand for properties and satisfy lambda abstraction cannot be proved from the assumptions stated two paragraphs above, and they are not in a position to find fallacies in arguments for these joint assumptions, for such arguments are never given.
Abstract: s and the Evans Argument (and its Successors). Any theory that allows for indeterminacy in the world places constraints on how language might relate to the world. Suppose that our language has (at least) the syntax of the predicate calculus with identity, and that it contains some predicates that stand for properties, and some names that stand for objects. Suppose further that an atomic sentence of the form Fa is true if what a stands for definitely has the property that F stands for, false if what a stands for definitely lacks the property that F stands for, and otherwise indeterminate. Now suppose, in addition, that we have in this language some lambda abstracts that form complex predicates, such as 'Xx[Ax & Bx]', i.e. the predicate of 'being both A and B.' If the language is sufficiently rich then we cannot assume that any such abstract refers to a property whose application to objects is perfectly characterized in the usual way by lambda abstraction, the principle that '?D(a)' is interchangeable with 'Xx[
67 citations
Related Topics (5)
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| Year | Papers |
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| 2021 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2015 | 2 |