Fictional Characters

Reading: Chaphter 12 of Brock and Mares

Questions:
1. What 2 theses do realist subscribe to? Do you find the objectivity thesis initally plausable? If you dont, what arugments can you think of against it?

2.What is the difference between a fictional statment and a critical statment? Which do Brock and Mares find provides the best "common sense opinion" in support of realism, and why? Are there any other "commmon sense" opinions you have which DONT support realism about fictional charachters?

3. Why think that critical staments cannot be considered abbreveations?

4. Why think that they can? If only some of them can, what would that show?

5. Whats an example of a negative existential which seems true but the realist will have to deny?

6. What arugment ( on pg 207) can the realist put against the stament in question 5 being true?

7. Whats the difference between concrete and abstract realism? What are the different ways they would deal with the stament from question 5?

8. What is Thomasson's theory? Why does she hold it?

9. Whats prefix fictionalism?

10. Do we assert fictional staments? Who would deny that we do? How and why would they make this move?