Bruno Marchal wrote: > Le 09-nov.-06, à 14:07, 1Z a écrit : > > > Bruno Marchal wrote: > >> Le 31-oct.-06, à 19:37, 1Z a écrit : > >> > >>> Well, I think numbers don't exist AT ALL.... > >> > >> I have not the slightest idea what you mean by that. > > > > If you don't understand anti-Platonism, that would certainly explain > > why you don't argue against it. > > > I still don't understand what you mean by numbers does not exist at > all. > If that is "antiplatonism", it would help me if you could explain > what is "antiplatonism", or better what could it mean that the numbers > don't exist. We already agree they don't exist physically, but saying > they does not exist at all ???
It means they don't non-physically exist either. Mathematical claims about existence can be true of false, but so can fictional claims like "Harry Potter exists in Middle Earth" > Even Licorne exists in some sense, > without referent in "the physical world", but with referent (meaning) > in some fantasy worlds? Fantasy worlds don't exist -- that's why they are called fantasy worlds, -- Licornes don't exist, and Licornes' don't exist in fantasy worlds. Meaning is *not* the same thing as reference (Bedeutung). That is the box the anti-Platonist has climbed out of. Some terms have referents (non-linguistic items they denote), others have only "sense" (Sinn). Sense and reference are two dimensions aspects of meaning, but not every term has both. Sense is internal to langauge, it a relationship between a word/concept and others. It is like a dictionary definition, whereas reference is like defining a word by pointing and saying "it is one of those". But no-one has ever defined a Licorne that way, since there is no Licorne to be pointed to. Mathematical concepts are defined in terms of other mathematical concepts. Mathematical reference is impossible and unnecessary. > Why could numbers not exist in some similar > sense, except that the number fantasy kiks back (as Tom has recalled > recently). Saying that Licornes exist in a fantasy world is a cumbersome way of saying they don't literally exist. Well, numbers don't literally kick back. They don't interact causally with my reality. > I am just trying to understand what you say. > > Bruno > > > http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~marchal/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
