Edward N. Zalta's "Intensional Logic and the Metaphysics of Intentionality" argues that an axiomatized realm of abstract entities, incorporated into the world's metaphysical structure, can unify the study of intensional contexts and intentional states. This theory explains inferential failures in intensional logic and identifies the objectified contents of mental states, such as beliefs, hopes, and desires.
The book introduces an intentional logic capable of analyzing various failures in principles like substitutivity, existential generalization, and strong extensionality. By viewing abstract entities as the objectified contents of mental files, Zalta provides a unified explanation for how these entities influence the truth conditions of sentences involved in inferential errors and the nature of directed mental states.
Key concepts
- Intensional logic — A formal system designed to represent and explain failures in certain inference principles.
- Intentional states — Mental states, including beliefs, hopes, and desires, that are directed toward the world.
- Axiomatized realm of abstract entities — A specific set of abstract entities added to the metaphysical structure to ground the theory.
- Objectified contents of mental files — Abstract entities that represent the contents of directed mental states.
- Inferential failures — Specific issues within intensional logic, such as failures of substitutivity, existential generalization, and strong extensionality.