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Ideas of Michael Hallett, by Text

[British, fl. 1996, Professor at McGill University, Montreal.]

1996 Introduction to Zermelo's 1930 paper
p.1213 p.1213 The first-order ZF axiomatisation is highly non-categorical
     Full Idea: The first-order Sermelo-Fraenkel axiomatisation is highly non-categorical.
     From: Michael Hallett (Introduction to Zermelo's 1930 paper [1996], p.1213)
p.1215 p.1215 Non-categoricity reveals a sort of incompleteness, with sets existing that the axioms don't reveal
     Full Idea: The non-categoricity of the axioms which Zermelo demonstrates reveals an incompleteness of a sort, ....for this seems to show that there will always be a set (indeed, an unending sequence) that the basic axioms are incapable of revealing to be sets.
     From: Michael Hallett (Introduction to Zermelo's 1930 paper [1996], p.1215)
     A reaction: Hallett says the incompleteness concerning Zermelo was the (transfinitely) indefinite iterability of the power set operation (which is what drives the 'iterative conception' of sets).
p.1217 p.1217 The General Continuum Hypothesis and its negation are both consistent with ZF
     Full Idea: In 1938, Gödel showed that ZF plus the General Continuum Hypothesis is consistent if ZF is. Cohen showed that ZF and not-GCH is also consistent if ZF is, which finally shows that neither GCH nor ¬GCH can be proved from ZF itself.
     From: Michael Hallett (Introduction to Zermelo's 1930 paper [1996], p.1217)
p.1217 p.1217 Zermelo allows ur-elements, to enable the widespread application of set-theory
     Full Idea: Unlike earlier writers (such as Fraenkel), Zermelo clearly allows that there might be ur-elements (that is, objects other than the empty set, which have no members). Indeed he sees in this the possibility of widespread application of set-theory.
     From: Michael Hallett (Introduction to Zermelo's 1930 paper [1996], p.1217)