<p>Hyperintensionalists like myself hold that there are distinct but co-intensional properties. However, intensionalists object that accepting such properties violates Ockham’s Razor, the principle of parsimony that tells us that things should not be multiplied more than is necessary. After I distinguish between the qualitative parsimony and quantitative parsimony readings of Ockham’s Razor, I present two versions of this objection: the qualitative parsimony objection and the quantitative parsimony objection. I then give a reply to each version that exploits the fact that intensionalists already accept that there are distinct but co-extensional properties. The upshot of this paper is that accepting co-intensional properties does not obviously violate either the qualitative parsimony or quantitative parsimony readings of Ockham’s Razor any more for the hyperintensionalist than accepting only co-extensional properties does for the intensionalist.</p>

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Co-intensional properties and running afoul of Ockham’s Razor

  • J. J. Snodgrass

摘要

Hyperintensionalists like myself hold that there are distinct but co-intensional properties. However, intensionalists object that accepting such properties violates Ockham’s Razor, the principle of parsimony that tells us that things should not be multiplied more than is necessary. After I distinguish between the qualitative parsimony and quantitative parsimony readings of Ockham’s Razor, I present two versions of this objection: the qualitative parsimony objection and the quantitative parsimony objection. I then give a reply to each version that exploits the fact that intensionalists already accept that there are distinct but co-extensional properties. The upshot of this paper is that accepting co-intensional properties does not obviously violate either the qualitative parsimony or quantitative parsimony readings of Ockham’s Razor any more for the hyperintensionalist than accepting only co-extensional properties does for the intensionalist.