Being and Generality

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter considers theories of quantification different from the theory presented in Section 3 of Chapter I. So-called substitutional quantification has never been adequately explained. Such explanations as there are consist in statements of truth-conditions (or, more generally, satisfaction conditions) for sentences containing substitutional quantifiers. But to give truth-conditions for the sentences in a certain class is not to say what propositions those sentences express. Theories of quantification that allow quantification into non-nominal positions (generally either sentential or predicative) are misguided. For, as the variables of ordinary quantifier logic are essentially pronouns, the variables of “propositional” logic must be essentially prosentences, and the variables of “higher-order” logic must be essentially pro-verbs or propredicates. And neither prosentences nor propredicates exist.