[FOM] predicative foundations

Nik Weaver nweaver at math.wustl.edu
Tue Feb 21 00:34:17 EST 2006


Stephen Pollard wrote:

> It would not be crazy for someone to insist that he can
> clearly conceive of possible worlds occupied by structures
> of type omega, but cannot clearly conceive of possible worlds
> occupied by structures of type <N-union-P(N),epsilon>. Prof.
> Weaver: Are you such a person? Am I getting close to expressing
> your position or am I missing the point?

I'm glad to hear I'm not crazy (at least not on these grounds)!

Yes, that is pretty much my position, and I appreciate your
care not to attribute views to me that I don't hold.  I could
refine what you wrote slightly and say not that I flatly "cannot"
clearly conceive of possible worlds occupied by structures of type
<N-union-P(N),epsilon>, but rather that I know of no plausible way
to conceive of such a world, and think I have good reasons for
believing this can't be done.

Nik


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