第18章 「批評に対する若干の返答」その2_論理学と存在論 09
最後に(言えば)、「普遍者は存在するか」という問いは多義的(曖昧な言い方)である。いくつかの解釈では、たしかに「そうである(存在する)」と答えることができる。他のいくつかの解釈では、現在のところ、決定的な答えはまったく可能ではないように思われる。普遍者の存在論的地位につい私が主張しうることは、私の『意味と真理の探究』(An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth)の最終章に述べてある。 |
Chapter 18: Some Replies to Criticism, n.2_9What mathematical logic does is not to establish ontological status where it might be doubted, but rather to diminish the number of words which have the straightforward meaning of pointing to an object. It used to be a common view that all the integers were entities, and those who would not go so far as this were at least persuaded that the number 1 is an entity. We cannot prove that this is not the case, but we can prove that mathematics affords no evidence for it.Finally, the question 'Are there universals?' is ambiguous. In some interpretations, the answer is certainly ‘yes' ; in others no decisive answer seems possible at present. What I have to say about the ontological status of universals is contained in the last chapter of An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth. |