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    Alyngton's analysis of terms like 'individual' as range-n... — Carmelics
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    Alyngton's analysis of terms like 'individual' as range-narrowed singular expressions is incorrect.

    Philosophy of Language
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    2 reasons for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

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    Reason for 1 of 2
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    • 1.Frege's Begriffsschrift demonstrates that singular terms and general terms operate under fundamentally distinct logical rules that resist conflation.
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    • 2.A range-narrowed singular expression still functions as a concealed general term, violating Russell's principle that genuine singular terms have no unsaturated predicative content.
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    • 3.Treating 'individual' as singular-with-narrowed-range generates referential failures in intensional contexts where genuine singular terms must succeed.
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    Reason for 2 of 2
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    • 1.Medieval suppositio theory, as developed by Buridan, requires that terms like 'individual' have personal supposition ranging over multiples, confirming general-term status.
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    • 2.If 'individual' were a range-narrowed singular, the descent to singulars in standard suppositio inference would be formally blocked, contradicting accepted inferential practice Alyngton's own tradition endorses.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
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    • 1.Alyngton's answer goes against linguistic usage.
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    • 2.Alyngton's answer goes against an established fact, since if he were right a commonly admitted argument would be formally incorrect.
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    Philosophy of Language

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    Related

    A range-narrowed singular expression still functions as a concealed general term...Alyngton's answer goes against an established fact, since if he were right a com...Alyngton's answer goes against linguistic usage.Frege's Begriffsschrift demonstrates that singular terms and general terms opera...
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    If 'individual' were a range-narrowed singular, the descent to singulars in stan...Medieval suppositio theory, as developed by Buridan, requires that terms like 'i...Treating 'individual' as singular-with-narrowed-range generates referential fail...

    Similar

    Terms like 'individual' should be considered singular expressions, spe...88%A term like 'individual' presupposes a general concept (that of being)...78%If 'an individual man' were a singular term (as Alyngton's theory requ...78%The syntagm 'an individual man' (homo singularis) is not a singular te...78%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: sharpe
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    The fourth kind of general term deserves particular attention, since it is connected with Sharpe’s solution to the question of the semantic and ontological status of terms of second intention like ‘individual’ or ‘singular. This was a highly controversial question in Oxford at the end of the 14th century. The most common explanation was that proposed by Robert Alyngton, a fellow of Queen’s College in the 1380s. According to Alyngton, terms like ‘individual’ have to be considered singular express
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    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (2 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit