Formal Philosophy, 15-March-2017, Moscow On what there is not, fictional objects and nonexistent things, a problem for ontology or for philosophy of language? Jorge Luis Méndez-Martínez, Graduate Student, Higher School of Economics Formal Philosophy, 15-March-2017, Moscow

"How, then, can any one put any faith in me "How, then, can any one put any faith in me? For now, as always, I am unequal to the refutation of not−being. And therefore, as I was saying, do not look to me for the right way of speaking about not−being”. 

Example sentences A pikachú is an electric pokemon Clark Kent is Superman Cheburaska is fluffy Sherlock Holmes lives in Baker Street Kalashnikov does not exist anymore The daughter of Wittgenstein is smarter than her father The present King of France is bald

Example sentences A pikachú is an electric pokemon Clark Kent is Superman Cheburaska is fluffy Sherlock Holmes lives in Baker Street Kalashnikov does not exist anymore The daughter of Wittgenstein is smarter than her father The present King of France is bald

Example sentences A pikachú is an electric pokemon Clark Kent is Superman Cheburaska is fluffy Sherlock Holmes lives in Baker Street Kalashnikov does not exist anymore The daughter of Wittgenstein is smarter than her father The present King of France is bald

Example sentences A pikachú is an electric pokemon Clark Kent is Superman Cheburashka is fluffy Sherlock Holmes lives in Baker Street Kalashnikov does not exist anymore The daughter of Wittgenstein is smarter than her father The present King of France is bald

Example sentences A pikachú is an electric pokemon Clark Kent is Superman Cheburaska is fluffy Sherlock Holmes lives in Baker Street Kalashnikov does not exist anymore The daughter of Wittgenstein is smarter than her father The present King of France is bald

Example sentences A pikachú is an electric pokemon Clark Kent is Superman Cheburaska is fluffy Sherlock Holmes lives in Baker Street Kalashnikov does not exist anymore The daughter of Wittgenstein is smarter than her father The present King of France is bald

Example sentences A pikachú is an electric pokemon Clark Kent is Superman Cheburaska is fluffy Sherlock Holmes lives in Baker Street Kalashnikov does not exist anymore The daughter of Wittgenstein is smarter than her father The present King of France is bald

Example sentences A pikachú is an electric pokemon Clark Kent is Superman Cheburaska is fluffy Sherlock Holmes lives in Baker Street Kalashnikov does not exist anymore The daughter of Wittgenstein is smarter than her father The present King of France is bald

Example sentences 8. Ned Stark was proclaimed the King of Westeros 9. The round square is red 10. Nessie does not exist 11. Vulcan is more than 1000 miles in diameter 12. Napoleon is angry 13. Bernie Sanders is the president of the United States

Example sentences 8. Ned Stark was proclaimed the King of Westeros 9. The round square is red 10. Nessie does not exist 11. Vulcan is more than 1000 miles in diameter 12. Napoleon is angry 13. Bernie Sanders is the president of the United States

Example sentences 8. Ned Stark was proclaimed the King of Westeros 9. The round square is red 10. Nessie does not exist 11. Vulcan is more than 1000 miles in diameter 12. Napoleon is angry 13. Bernie Sanders is the president of the United States

Example sentences 8. Ned Stark was proclaimed the King of Westeros 9. The round square is red 10. Nessie does not exist 11. Vulcan is more than 1000 miles in diameter 12. Napoleon is angry 13. Bernie Sanders is the president of the United States

Example sentences 8. Ned Stark was proclaimed the King of Westeros 9. The round square is red 10. Nessie does not exist 11. Vulcan is more than 1000 miles in diameter 12. Napoleon is angry 13. Bernie Sanders is the president of the United States

Example sentences 8. Ned Stark was proclaimed the King of Westeros 9. The round square is red 10. Nessie does not exist 11. Vulcan is more than 1000 miles in diameter 12. Napoleon is angry 13. Bernie Sanders is the president of the United States

Example sentences 8. Ned Stark was proclaimed the King of Westeros 9. The round square is red 10. Nessie does not exist 11. Vulcan is more than 1000 miles in diameter 12. Napoleon is angry 13. Bernie Sanders is the president of the United States

Example sentences A pikachú is an electric pokemon Clark Kent is Superman Cheburaska is fluffy Sherlock Holmes lives in Baker Street Kalashnikov does not exist anymore The daughter of Wittgenstein is smarter than her father The present King of France is bald 8. Ned Stark was proclaimed the King of Westeros 9. The round square is red 10. Nessie does not exist 11. Vulcan is more than 1000 miles in diameter 12. Napoleon is angry 13. Bernie Sanders is the president of the United States

Proposed categories Actual, contingent and evidently existent objects (“Bernie Sanders”) Impossible objects (“the round square”) Possible unactualized objects or possibilia (“Wittgenstein’s daughter”) Past objects that do not exist anymore (“Napoleon”, “Kalashnikov”, “King of France”) Objects whose existence are or was unto debate (“Vulcan”) Abstract mathematical objects Robust fictional objects (“Cheburashka”, “Superman”, “Sherlock Holmes”)

Two options Philosophy of language, logic OR Ontology of fiction

Descriptivist Solutions

Contradictions in “The Present King of France” “The present King of France is bald” is false. Contradiction? “The present King of France is not bald” is false. “It is not true that the present King of France is bald” is true. Contradiction? “It is not true that the present King of France is not bald” is true.

Famous Russell’s formula -x (Fx & (y) Fy x= y) & Gx)

Consequences of the analysis Not a problem of FO or NEO, but Empty Names There is no sense to talk about the property of existence Movement towards descriptions Erasure of FO

Referential modalities

Consequences Attack on descriptivism: the modal argument Rigid connection between the object and name Unactualized possibilia? A name name: ‘thou shalt refer’ The problem of the unicorn

Modal considerations Existence as spatiotemporal actuality (Salmon) FO are not possibilia Fictionality in possible worlds

A matter of logic “According to the story” strategy Existence as a predicable property: E! Models with a domain D, and interpretative function I, which include NEO

Example model D = <d, c, o, l>, dragon (d), crocodile (c ), orc, (o), lori (l) I: F, “breathes fire”, S, “has scales”, P “has a primate-like anatomy”, M “lives in Mordor”

Problems and consequences Intransitivity: real world predicates Introduction of other operators: temporal objects, future objects; and modal features.

Free logic frames Positive free logic, close to Lambert (another key figure), where there are true sentences based on principles such as that of identity, like “Vulcan = Vulcan”. Fregean free logic: where the failure in referring is just an indeterminacy. The Negative Free logic (NFL), which is the view endorsed by Sainsbury.

RWR and NFL 1. There are singular referring expressions, and plural ones. 2. There are simple referring expressions and complex ones. 3. Some intelligible referring expressions have no referents. 4. A referring expression without a referent may occur in truth. 5. Semantic theory is governed by NFL. 6. Reference is an absolute relation, and is not world-relative. Ergo, there is not room for modalities. 7.Referring expressions are rigid designators. 8. If a singular referring expression refers to x and y, then x = y

An ontological problem

FO are not nonexistent (FO  NEO). Thomasson artefactual theory: FO are abstract artefacts FO are existential dependent Two dependencies: 1. Literary works (partially material, dependence); 2. Mental acts of authors (primary dependence) Category Ontology Authorial Issues

FO are not nonexistent (FO  NEO). Thomasson artefactual theory: FO are abstract artefacts FO are existential dependent Two dependencies: 1. Literary works (partially material, dependence); 2. Mental acts of authors (primary dependence) Category Ontology Authorial Issues

Dependence entailment RCD  RHD  RD    GCD  GHD  GD

“I can catch a Pikachu” FO that exist in a spatiotemporal actual manner, are they FO? What is their connection with old pokemon? How to understand the authorial dependence here? Social communicative chain

Спасибо!