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    P4's principle conflates metaphysical dependence with ont... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→A theory containing '∃x x = Obama' is ontologically committed to the existence of Obama's head, even though Obama's head need not be assigned as a value to the variable 'x' for the theory to be true.

    P4's principle conflates metaphysical dependence with ontological commitment, treating them as equivalent when they are distinct relations (Fine, 'Ontological Dependence').

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    1 reason for
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    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Metaphysical dependence concerns what must exist for something to exist; ontological commitment concerns what a theory asserts exists.
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    • 2.A theory can be committed to abstracta (numbers) without those abstracta depending on concrete objects for their existence.
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    • 3.Fine's distinction preserves the intuition that some entities are fundamentally independent yet theoretically indispensable.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
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    • 1.If P4 treats dependence relations as explanatory, conflating them with commitment may obscure rather than clarify metaphysical structure.
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    • 2.Ontological commitment presupposes metaphysical dependence: we commit only to entities whose existence is genuinely possible or dependent.
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    • 3.Fine's own work suggests dependence relations determine what commitments are coherent, making them foundational rather than distinct.
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    Related

    A theory can be committed to abstracta (numbers) without those abstracta dependi...A theory containing '∃x x = Obama' is ontologically committed to the existence o...Fine's distinction preserves the intuition that some entities are fundamentally ...Fine's own work suggests dependence relations determine what commitments are coh...
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    If P4 treats dependence relations as explanatory, conflating them with commitmen...Metaphysical dependence concerns what must exist for something to exist; ontolog...Ontological commitment presupposes metaphysical dependence: we commit only to en...

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    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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