Fictionalism and the attitudes

Musil’s Imaginary Bridge

“…See e.g. Burgess [2004] and Daly [2008] on significant differences between mathematics and literary fiction. On the latter, and the mechanisms of the relevant make-believe practices, see Walton [1990] and Currie [1990].…”

Fictionalism in Metaphysics

“…Given its central place in such projects, it is not surprising, for example, that the belief – acceptance distinction has come under special critical scrutiny, with a number of philosophers questioning the distinction on the grounds that the propensity to act as if a certain sentence or theory is true is precisely the mark of belief (see, e.g. O’Leary‐Hawthorne 1994; Horwich 2004; for a response, see Daly 2008). A general worry of a very different kind concerns the persistence of the notion of an abstract object in fictionalist projects.…”

Figurative Language in Explanation

“…Such objections could be silenced once and for all by showing Figurative Language in Explanation that the distinction between belief and make-believe is clear enough in those cases where the fictionalist invokes it (i.e., mathematics, etc.). I don't think this has been done yet, pace Daly 2008, Yablo 2002b have no space to defend this contention here.…”