tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21308815.post7539905999099309455..comments2023-10-08T15:51:17.426+00:00Comments on Beyond Necessity: Le Verrier's Vulcan and Pierre Menard's QuixoteEdward Ockhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583379503310147119noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21308815.post-43793850326438980392012-05-18T20:17:13.797+00:002012-05-18T20:17:13.797+00:00(And yes, I know you don't agree with this. B...(And yes, I know you don't agree with this. But Bill, if he wants to argue that there are no singular concepts, shouldn't have conceded that "Small, intra-Mercurial planet whose existence explains the peculiarities of Mercury's orbit" corresponds to any concept at all.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15847046461397802596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21308815.post-77047927498665679662012-05-18T20:13:32.356+00:002012-05-18T20:13:32.356+00:00>> What is the problem with 'concept'...>> What is the problem with 'concept'?<br /><br />The word "planet" refers to a <i>concept</i>. The word "Mars" refers to an <i>entity</i>. That's why the latter is capitalized, and the former is not.<br /><br />"Small, intra-Mercurial planet whose existence explains the peculiarities of Mercury's orbit is not instantiated" is a hypothetical <i>entity</i>. It is not a <i>concept</i>, as it is not an abstraction of anything.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15847046461397802596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21308815.post-44654388290696631262012-05-17T06:11:33.773+00:002012-05-17T06:11:33.773+00:00>>Bill's big mistake in that argument wa...>>Bill's big mistake in that argument was calling "Small, intra-Mercurial planet whose existence explains the peculiarities of Mercury's orbit" a concept.<br /><br />What is the problem with 'concept'? He means the concept corresponding to the expression in quote marks - it's a well understood convention, what's the problem?Edward Ockhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07583379503310147119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21308815.post-49681957592818264062012-05-17T02:14:29.000+00:002012-05-17T02:14:29.000+00:00Bill's big mistake in that argument was callin...Bill's big mistake in that argument was calling "Small, intra-Mercurial planet whose existence explains the peculiarities of Mercury's orbit" a concept. One he gave you that, the rest of the descent into unreality was simple.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15847046461397802596noreply@blogger.com