Romy Vekony MA

March 1 until August 31, 2026

Affiliation: Florida State University

Research for a study about:

To speak of abstract Objects

Lecture

To Speak of Abstract Objects

IVC Philosophy of Science Colloquium 

Date: May 21, 2026

Time: 4.45 pm -6.15 pm CET

Venue for all talks: Lecture Hall 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7, 3rd floor, NIG/ Neues Institutsgebäude, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna

Abstract:

tba

Report

Sara Romy Vekony IVC Report
During her six-month fellowship at the IVC, Romy Vekony completed her dissertation Essays on Acceptance in Epistemology and Philosophy of Science. In particular, she completed chapters titled “The Role of Individual Belief in Scientific Inquiry” and “To Speak of Abstract Objects.” The latter chapter was the main project undertaken at the IVC and was presented at the IVC Philosophy of Science Colloquium at the University of Vienna.
“To Speak of Abstract Objects” examines and critiques contemporary interpretations of Carnap’s 1950 article “Empiricism, Semantics and Ontology,” and provides new interpretations of Carnapian frameworks, internal and external statements, and framework acceptance. The project rejects recent language pluralist and relativist accounts discussed by Eklund (2009, 2013, 2016, 2023, 2025) and Flocke (2020)’s “ontological non-cognitivism,” which holds Carnap attempts to reconcile his empiricism with the existence of abstract objects. The project emphasizes Carnap’s pragmatic approach to language construction by putting framework construction into context with his broader aims surrounding linguistic tools, including his involvement with International Auxiliary Languages. The project argues that frameworks are better understood as fragments of formal languages than full languages, and that the simple task of reconciling empiricism with the talk of abstract objects is more in line with Carnap’s pragmatist aims.
Romy defended her dissertation on June 26, 2026, and was awarded a doctoral degree in Philosophy from Florida State University.