On What There Is

E1036181

academic article philosophical paper

"On What There Is" is a seminal 1948 philosophical paper by W.V.O. Quine that challenges traditional notions of ontology and argues that a theory’s commitments to what exists are revealed by the bound variables in its quantificational logic.

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Statements (46)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	academic article ⓘ philosophical paper ⓘ
addresses	problem of nonexistent objects ⓘ question of what there is ⓘ
argumentativeStrategy	reinterprets ordinary existential claims in logical notation ⓘ uses formal logic to clarify ontological disputes ⓘ
author	W. V. O. Quine NERFINISHED ⓘ Willard Van Orman Quine NERFINISHED ⓘ
canonicalStatus	classic paper in analytic metaphysics ⓘ widely anthologized in philosophy collections ⓘ
centralClaim	A theory’s ontological commitments are revealed by the values of its bound variables in quantificational logic ⓘ To be is to be the value of a bound variable ⓘ
centralTopic	existence ⓘ ontological commitment ⓘ ontology ⓘ
countryOfOrigin	United States of America ⓘ surface form: United States
criticizes	Meinongian ontology ⓘ acceptance of nonexistent objects ⓘ
field	philosophy ⓘ
impact	shaped the methodology of analytic ontology in the 20th century ⓘ standard reference point in discussions of ontological commitment ⓘ
influenced	contemporary analytic metaphysics ⓘ ontological commitment debates ⓘ philosophy of language ⓘ philosophy of logic ⓘ
influencedBy	Bertrand Russell NERFINISHED ⓘ Rudolf Carnap NERFINISHED ⓘ logical positivism ⓘ
introducesConcept	criterion of ontological commitment ⓘ
keyDistinction	distinction between linguistic expressions and their ontological commitments ⓘ distinction between use and mention in ontological discourse ⓘ
keySlogan	To be is to be the value of a bound variable ⓘ
language	English ⓘ
methodologicalThesis	Ontological questions are to be settled by examining the quantificational structure of our best theories ⓘ
philosophicalStance	naturalistic approach to ontology ⓘ rejection of vague talk about existence in favor of formal criteria ⓘ
philosophicalTradition	analytic philosophy ⓘ
positionOnOntology	ontological commitment is theory-relative ⓘ ontology should be guided by regimented scientific theories ⓘ
publicationYear	1948 ⓘ
publishedIn	Review of Metaphysics NERFINISHED ⓘ
relatedWorkOfAuthor	Two Dogmas of Empiricism NERFINISHED ⓘ Word and Object NERFINISHED ⓘ
subfield	metaphysics ⓘ ontology ⓘ
usesFramework	first-order quantificational logic ⓘ

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Existence and Quantification → relatedWork → On What There Is ⓘ

Speaking of Objects → relatedWork → On What There Is ⓘ

Identity, Ostension, and Hypostasis → relatedWork → On What There Is ⓘ

Wyman → appearsInWork → On What There Is ⓘ

New Foundations for Mathematical Logic → relatedWorkByAuthor → On What There Is ⓘ

essay "Notes on the Theory of Reference" → relatedWork → On What There Is ⓘ

subject surface form: Notes on the Theory of Reference

essay "Designation and Existence" → relatedWork → On What There Is ⓘ

subject surface form: Designation and Existence