TY - JOUR
T1 - A puzzle about ontological commitments
AU - Ebert, Philip Alexander
PY - 2006/6
Y1 - 2006/6
N2 - This paper raises and then discusses a puzzle concerning the ontological commitments of mathematical principles. The main focus here is Hume's Principle—a statement that, embedded in second-order logic, allows for a deduction of the second-order Peano axioms. The puzzle aims to put pressure on so-called epistemic rejectionism, a position that rejects the analytic status of Hume's Principle. The upshot will be to elicit a new and very basic disagreement between epistemic rejectionism and the neo-Fregeans, defenders of the analytic status of Hume's Principle, which will provide a new angle from which properly to assess and re-evaluate the current debate.
AB - This paper raises and then discusses a puzzle concerning the ontological commitments of mathematical principles. The main focus here is Hume's Principle—a statement that, embedded in second-order logic, allows for a deduction of the second-order Peano axioms. The puzzle aims to put pressure on so-called epistemic rejectionism, a position that rejects the analytic status of Hume's Principle. The upshot will be to elicit a new and very basic disagreement between epistemic rejectionism and the neo-Fregeans, defenders of the analytic status of Hume's Principle, which will provide a new angle from which properly to assess and re-evaluate the current debate.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=45149094246&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/philmat/nkm050
DO - 10.1093/philmat/nkm050
M3 - Article
SN - 0031-8019
VL - 16
SP - 209
EP - 226
JO - Philosophia Mathematica
JF - Philosophia Mathematica
IS - 2
ER -