On existence in set theory (Q691129)

The author provides a classification of the valid sentences of set theory by means of existence and related properties. Usually the axioms of set theory are separated into two groups, the axioms of the nature of sets, such as the axiom of extensionality and the axiom of foundation, and the existence axioms, such as the axiom of pairs or the union axiom. The existence axioms are again divided into two groups, the constructive existence axioms and the nonconstructive existence axioms. The author takes another point of view and considers the axiom of extensionality as an existence axiom. He introduces six degrees of existence requirement. This leads him to the definition of productive and nonproductive assertions, constructive and nonconstructive productive assertions, and conditional and unconditional productive assertions. He discusses these notions and determines the degree of the axioms of ZFC.