Edward N. Zalta

Edward Nouri Zalta[6] (/ˈzɔːltə/; born March 16, 1952) is a senior research scholar at the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University. He received his BA at Rice University in 1975 and his PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1981, both in philosophy.[6] Zalta has taught courses at Stanford University, Rice University, the University of Salzburg, and the University of Auckland. Zalta is also the Principal Editor of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.[7]

Edward N. Zalta
Zalta speaking at Wikimania 2015
Born (1952-03-16) March 16, 1952
Alma materUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst
Era20th-century philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
School
InstitutionsCenter for the Study of Language and Information
ThesisAn Introduction to a Theory of Abstract Objects (1981)
Doctoral advisorTerence Parsons
Main interests
Epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, intensional logic, philosophy of logic, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of mind, intentionality, situation theory
Notable ideas
Abstract object theory, Platonized naturalism[4]

Research

Zalta's most notable philosophical position is descended from the position of Alexius Meinong and Ernst Mally,[8] who suggested that there are many non-existent objects. On Zalta's account, some objects (the ordinary concrete ones around us, like tables and chairs) "exemplify" properties, while others (abstract objects like numbers, and what others would call "non-existent objects", like the round square, and the mountain made entirely of gold) merely "encode" them.[9] While the objects that exemplify properties are discovered through traditional empirical means, a simple set of axioms allows us to know about objects that encode properties.[10] For every set of properties, there is exactly one object that encodes exactly that set of properties and no others.[11] This allows for a formalized ontology.

References

Citations

  1. Tennant, Neil (3 November 2017) [First published 21 August 2013]. "Logicism and Neologicism". In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2017 ed.). Stanford University: The Metaphysics Research Lab. ISSN 1095-5054. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  2. st-andrews.ac.uk Archived 2006-12-24 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Edward N. Zalta and Uri Nodelman, "A Logically Coherent Ante Rem Structuralism ", "Ontological Dependence Workshop, University of Bristol, February 2011.
  4. Linsky, B., and Zalta, E., 1995, "Naturalized Platonism vs. Platonized Naturalism", The Journal of Philosophy, 92(10): 525–555.
  5. Anderson & Zalta 2004.
  6. "An introduction to a theory of abstract objects". ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  7. "Editorial Information". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2018 ed.). Stanford University: The Metaphysics Research Lab. 21 March 2018. ISSN 1095-5054. Retrieved 31 May 2018. Principal Editor: Edward N. Zalta, Senior Research Scholar, Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford University
  8. Zalta 1983, p. xi.
  9. Zalta 1983, p. 33.
  10. Zalta 1983, p. 36.
  11. Zalta 1983, p. 35.

Sources

Works cited
Anderson, David J.; Zalta, Edward N. (2004). "Frege, Boolos, and Logical Objects". Journal of Philosophical Logic. 33 (1): 1–26.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Zalta, Edward N. (1983). Abstract Objects: An Introduction to Axiomatic Metaphysics. Synthese Library. 160. Dordrecht, Netherlands: D. Reidel Publishing Company. ISBN 978-90-277-1474-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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