Anthony, who occasionally asks some very good questions (I'm sorry I don't have time to address them all), asks in a comment to this post whether my position on truthmakers is inconsistent with my presentism. I'm not sure exactly where he is coming from, but I agree there may appear to be an inconsistency when I use singular terms like 'Socrates' to refer to non-present, and therefore non-existing individuals.
I explained this a while back. See this post and the posts it links back to. The verb 'refers to' is, I claim, a logically intransitive verb. This concept I have tried to explain to the Maverick on many occasions, with little apparent success (smiley face icon).
1 comment:
well, Ock. recall some Vienna circle ideas on the use of "Is".
At times "is" is an identity (lawyers are attorneys). At times a copula/predicate (lawyers are greedy). In the cases you're discussing, usually a predicate. "X is fat". You seem to be denying predication itself (and the class--ie, obesity). In effect, your nominalism soon becomes nihilism .
Post a Comment