Essay about Nominalism - 1456 Words

Nominalism The great revival of philosophical and theological study which the thirteenth century witnessed was conditioned by the influence of Aristotle. The theory of the universe propounded by the Stagirite had to be reconciled with the traditional Platonic-Augustinian realism. This Thomas Aquinas undertook to do, following, Aristotle as closely as possible. Duns Scotus, on the other hand, attempted to maintain the ancient realism, while supporting it by modern or Aristotelian methods. Interests and tendencies, however, came up in his work which drove his disciples away from his position. The growth of empirical research and psychological analysis together with the new activity of the reason in the epistemological field on the†¦show more content†¦In respect of the theory of cognition, where Duns Scotus had placed between the perceiving subject and the object perceived a sensible species and an intelligible species, Ockham considers these as superfluous machinery. Objects call forth sense-impressions in us, which are transmuted by the active intellect into mental images. These images are thus a product of the intellect, not species which flow from the object into the intellectus possibilis. The reality of these images is thus, in the modern use of the terms, not objective but subjective. This is true not merely of the terms of first intention formed directly from sense-impression, but also of the terms of second intention, i.e., the abstract terms which take note of common attributes, or universals. These latter correspond to a tendency of the human mind, which can not perceive individuals without at the same time attempting to form a general concept. A white object simultaneously suggests abstract whiteness; an extended, related, enduring object forces the conception of extension, relation, duration. The result of this line of reasoning is the absolute subjectivity of all concepts and universals and the limitation of knowledge to the mind and its concepts-alth ough these are real entities because of their subjective existence in the mind, reproducing the actual according to the constitution of the mind. Thus Ockham is really the pioneer of modern epistemology. TheShow MoreRelatedDifferences Between Platonism And Nominalism And Explain How They Function As Philosophical Ideologies1137 Words   |  5 Pagesthey right? What does it mean to say that something ‘instantiates a universal’? In this paper I will explain the notion of universals, and argue why Platonism is the more correct view, as opposed to Nominalism and Fictionalism. I will also clarify the major differences between Platonism and Nominalism, and explain how they function as philosophical ideologies. Platonists or â€Å"realists† in other terms claim that abstract objects are physical; that they exist in some palpable way. Plato, from whom theRead MoreA Theory Of Ontology And A Position On The Problem Of Universals Essay1319 Words   |  6 Pagessubsequently presenting a response to these critiques via the analysis of Devitt, I will also discuss the infinite regress problem and the validity of the One Over Many argument. My conclusion will be highlighted by solutions offered to ostrich nominalism by Imaguire. The first and arguably most important point, is that it is possible to admit the existence of red houses, roses, and sunsets, while simultaneously denying they have anything in common. Therefore, according to Quine, it is possibleRead MoreCan Realism Offer A Plausible Response?1677 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen a number of reformulations of the problems which lie at the heart of the regress, as well as many attempts to weaken or negate its conclusions. This paper will firstly adumbrate the distinction between realism and its perceived antithesis, nominalism. The Bradleyan problem faced by the realist will then be expounded. Following from this, historic realist approaches to the problem of instantiation will be discussed. I will then consider Baxter’s version of the partial identity theory, and responsesRead MoreDynamic Nominalism848 Words   |  4 Pagesdynamic nominalism is that in naming classifications of human types, people come to fit the label given. A new possibility i s offered and this can influence individuals to adopt characteristics and thus fit in to the new classification. This differs from inert nominalism and realism as this label may not always be the same one used for the individual, as social change gives birth to new opportunities, individuals may move categories. This essay is going to explore Hacking’s term dynamic nominalism throughRead MoreThe Ontological Status Of Properties Essay2099 Words   |  9 PagesThis reduction is also in part an appeal to parsimony. That is, if â€Å"qualitative resemblance and identity can be accounted for without universals†, then universals can be dismissed so as to simplify the inventory of ontology. Predicate Nominalism Predicate nominalism (PN) claims that commonalities can be explained by language. For example, the phrase â€Å"the grass is green† is true, but the phrase â€Å"is green† is by itself meaningless. Essentially, the predicate gains its meaning from the subject. SimilaritiesRead MoreScholasticism776 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom things or inherent to them. Universals are only names and exist only in the soul. Ockham’s approach, also known as â€Å"nominalism†[9], opposes the Aristotelian-scholastic tradition, which was fundamentally realistic. Universal concepts, for Ockham, are nothing more than mental processes by which the understanding combines a multiplicity of such individuals by a term. Nominalism deems to assert the primacy of the will over intelligence. The will of God is not limited by anything, not even the divineRead MoreRealism And The Language Of Universals And Particulars2044 Words   |  9 PagesNominalism and Realism in relation to the Language of Universals and Particulars Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Nominalism as: â€Å"a theory that there are no universal essences in reality and that the mind can frame no single concept or image corresponding to any universal or general term† on the other hand it defines realism as: â€Å"a doctrine that universals exist outside the mind; specifically: the conception that an abstract term names an independent and unitary reality† . Throughout theRead MoreThe Reformation and the Church Essay example1587 Words   |  7 PagesSt. Bonaventure (Johnson, 282). A theologian from Oxford University, William of Ockham, proposed the doctrines of Voluntarism and Nominalism in order to reform Scholasticism. In the process, â€Å"He extolled the separation of church and state and denied all temporal power to the pope, thus shattering medieval Christianity’s ideal of unity† (Pinckaers, 241). The Nominalism that Ockham extolled gave power to the individual and proposed a morality based on oblig ation (Pinckaers, 251). This developed intoRead MoreEssay about Analysis of Faulkners As I Lay Dying876 Words   |  4 Pageshaving words is as good as having no words because the characters in this book, especially the members of the Bundren family, use words that obfuscate their true emotions. Faulkner uses his characters to portray speech as just another factor of nominalism and allows only silence to present the truth. Addie Bundren, even after death, is not completely silent through the trip to Jefferson. Her presence is an incessant reminder that words are â€Å"just shape[s] to fill a lack† (pg 172). For Addie, speakingRead More1.Explain Some Of The Benefits A Student May Gain By Studying1290 Words   |  6 PagesSubstance Dualism claims that both the immaterial and the material objects exist. 7. Evaluate the 4 views as to the nature of universals and particulars. The 4 views are extreme or platonic realism, exaggerated realism, conceptualism and extreme nominalism. For extreme or platonic realism, Plato argues that reality consists of Forms and that the Form exists in a separate realm. For Plato, ideas are real meaning they have an independent existence, apart from our thoughts. Exaggerated realism is that