[C] [Wittrs] Re: Sense of "Is"

From: "J D" <ubersicht@xxxxxxxxx>
To: wittrsamr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:47:02 -0000

SW,

If I recall correctly...

Most of Wittgenstein's remarks on the subject allude to the Frege-Russell 
distinction between identity, predication, existence, and  subsumption roles of 
the copula functions which is built into modern logical notations.  The debate 
between Russell and Meinong is important here.  (Prior to Frege and Kant, 
Aristotle and Kant are most important.) Peirce also wrote extensively on this 
but his work was less influential. Logicians also distinguish between 
predication as class membership and as class inclusion, the latter of which is 
equivalent to subsumption.  J. Hintikka is probably the most important recent 
philosopher on the subject.


Now, some fanciful examples:

1. Identity  Wonder Woman is Diana Prince
2. Predication  Wonder Woman is invulnerable
2a. Class membership Wonder Woman is Amazon
2b. Class inclusion Amazons are women
3. Existence.  Wonder Woman is.
4. Subsumption  Amazons are women

Vaguely recalling some recent stuff on the issues Russell and Meinong.  Ah, 
here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_square_copula
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nonexistent-objects/#DuaCopStr

There's of course extensive literature of metaphor, e.g. Wonder Woman is a 
tank.  I'm not familiar with anything specific on the usage you mention which 
we might gloss as "is effectively".

JPDeMouy




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[C] [Wittrs] Re: Sense of "Is"

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