If competing formal systems successfully reduce relations to other notions (functions, sets, or logical forms), the claim that relations must be primitive lacks sufficient justification.

?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.

No one has weighed in yet. Be the first to share reasons for or against this statement.

Formal systems(the systems Hilbert tried to use): A set of basic symbols and strict rules for manipulating them (like a logical language), designed to avoid ambiguity and prove statements with certainty.
Primitive (or primitive notion)(as used in metaphysics and logic): Something so basic that it cannot be broken down into simpler pieces—it has to be accepted as a starting point.
Reduce (or reduction)(as an explanatory goal): To explain something complicated by breaking it down into simpler, more basic parts—like explaining how a car works by describing its engine, wheels, and fuel system.
Relations: A relation is a way of describing how two or more things are connected or related to each other. For example, "is the parent of," "is taller than," or "is friends with" are all relations that show how people or objects link together. In everyday terms, it's simply a pattern or connection that shows how one thing depends on, compares to, or associates with another.

Based on where you are in your exploration