[FOM] FOM Formation Rules

[Steven Ericsson-Zenith]

Dear Richard and FOM,

A correction to my posting, I transcribed my quotation of Carnap in  
haste and incorrectly - which I did not spot until reading the  
posting on FOM. It should read:

"A theory, a rule, a definition, or the like is to be called 'formal'  
when no reference is made in it either to the meaning of the  
symbols ... or to the sense of the expressions ... but simply and  
solely to the kinds and order of the symbols from which the  
expressions are constructed."
Rudolf Carnap. LSoL. Second Paragraph of the Introduction.

I also specified the date from memory and should have checked - "The  
Logical Syntax of Language" was in fact published a year earlier than  
I specified, in 1937. The book was republished in 2002 and is  
available from Open Court Press.

Apologies.

With respect,
Steven

On Oct 19, 2006, at 4:35 PM, Steven Ericsson-Zenith wrote:

> Dear Richard,
>
> I am not able to give a definitive answer to your original question.
>
> I am, however, a little surprised that no-one has mentioned Carnap.
> According to his "Logical Syntax of Language" (1938) :
>
> "A theory, a rule, a definition, or the like is to be called 'formal'
> when no reference is made in it either to the meaning of the
> symbols ... or to the sense of the expressions ... but simply and
> solely to the kinds and order from which the symbols are constructed."
> Rudolf Carnap. LSoL. Second Paragraph of the Introduction.
>
> I think this is the clearest and most desirable explanation I know of
> and I believe that this same work at least meets your criteria even
> if it does not have priority. If it doesn't I'd be please to hear why.