ABSTRACT
Fictionalists try to reconcile our linguistic practices with our ontological scruples. They want to speak as if there are, say, numbers, possible worlds or properties, without thereby accepting the existence of the entities in question. In this chapter we offer a minimal and inclusive characterization of fictionalism that tries to do justice to the large variety of projects associated with this label. We then provide an overview of what we take to be the core choice points facing the fictionalist, a survey of some of the main issues facing the viability of fictionalist strategies, as well as pointers to how these issues might be addressed.
