A Theory of Universals: Volume 2

A Theory of Universals: Volume 2 PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: CUP Archive
ISBN: 9780521280327
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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Book Description
This is a study, in two volumes, of one of the longest-standing philosophical problems: the problem of universals. In volume I David Armstrong surveys and criticizes the main approaches and solutions to the problems that have been canvassed, rejecting the various forms of nominalism and 'Platonic' realism. In volume II he develops an important theory of his own, an objective theory of universals based not on linguistic conventions, but on the actual and potential findings of natural science. He thus reconciles a realism about qualities and relations with an empiricist epistemology. The theory allows, too, for a convincing explanation of natural laws as relations between these universals.

A Theory of Universals: Volume 2

A Theory of Universals: Volume 2 PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: CUP Archive
ISBN: 9780521280327
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Get Book Here

Book Description
This is a study, in two volumes, of one of the longest-standing philosophical problems: the problem of universals. In volume I David Armstrong surveys and criticizes the main approaches and solutions to the problems that have been canvassed, rejecting the various forms of nominalism and 'Platonic' realism. In volume II he develops an important theory of his own, an objective theory of universals based not on linguistic conventions, but on the actual and potential findings of natural science. He thus reconciles a realism about qualities and relations with an empiricist epistemology. The theory allows, too, for a convincing explanation of natural laws as relations between these universals.

Universals

Universals PDF Author: James Porter Moreland
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317490010
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
Things are particulars and their qualities are universals, but do universals have an existence distinct from the particular things describable by those terms? And what must be their nature if they do? This book provides a careful and assured survey of the central issues of debate surrounding universals, in particular those issues that have been a crucial part of the emergence of contemporary analytic ontology. The book begins with a taxonomy of extreme nominalist, moderate nominalist, and realist positions on properties, and outlines the way each handles the phenomena of predication, resemblance, and abstract reference. The debate about properties and philosophical naturalism is also examined. Different forms of extreme nominalism, moderate nominalism, and minimalist realism are critiqued. Later chapters defend a traditional realist view of universals and examine the objections to realism from various infinite regresses, the difficulties in stating identity conditions for properties, and problems with realist accounts of knowledge of abstract objects. In addition, the debate between Platonists and Aristotelians is examined alongside a discussion of the relationship between properties and an adequate theory of existence. The book's final chapter explores the problem of individuating particulars. The book makes accessible a difficult topic without blunting the sophistication of argument required by a more advanced readership.

Nominalism and Realism: Volume 1

Nominalism and Realism: Volume 1 PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: CUP Archive
ISBN: 9780521217415
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description
This is a study, in two volumes, of one of the longest-standing philosophical problems: the problem of universals. In volume I David Armstrong surveys and criticizes the main approaches and solutions to the problems that have been canvassed, rejecting the various forms of nominalism and 'Platonic' realism. In volume II he develops an important theory of his own, an objective theory of universals based not on linguistic conventions, but on the actual and potential findings of natural science. He thus reconciles a realism about qualities and relations with an empiricist epistemology. The theory allows, too, for a convincing explanation of natural laws as relations between these universals.

Substances and Universals in Aristotle's Metaphysics

Substances and Universals in Aristotle's Metaphysics PDF Author: Theodore Scaltsas
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 9780801476358
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 316

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Book Description
In this book, Theodore Scaltsas brings the insights of contemporary philosophy to bear on a classic problem in metaphysics that stems from Aristotle's theory of substance. Scaltsas provides an analysis of the enigmatic notions of potentiality and actuality, which he uses to explain Aristotle's substantial holism by showing how the concrete and the abstract parts of a substance form a dynamic, diachronic whole.

Meaning and Universal Grammar

Meaning and Universal Grammar PDF Author: Cliff Goddard
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027230633
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
Volume one of a set of studies that is founded on the idea that universal grammar is based on - indeed, inseparable from - meaning. The theoretical framework is the natural semantic metalanguage (NSM) approach originated by Anna Wierzbicka and developed in collaboration with Cliff Goddard.

What is a Law of Nature?

What is a Law of Nature? PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107142318
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 183

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Book Description
This book is D. M. Armstrong's influential defense of his original theory of what a law of nature is.

Duns Scotus and the Problem of Universals

Duns Scotus and the Problem of Universals PDF Author: Todd Bates
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1847062245
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
John Duns Scotus (d.1308), known as the ‘subtle doctor' among medieval schoolmen, produced a formidable philosophical theology using and adapting an Aristotelian metaphysical framework. Critical of Thomas Aquinas' grand Summas, Scotus died before producing a final synthesis of his own. Indeed, his work, left in disarray for centuries, has only recently become available in an edited format. Contemporary metaphysics, taking up the problem of universals, treads on ground already well-worked by Scotus. Duns Scotus and the Problem of Universals shows how Scotus' treatment of the problem of universals is both coherent and, even by contemporary standards, cogent. Todd Bates recovers and sets out Scotus' understanding of the structure of material substance, reconstructs Scotus' arguments for universals and haecceities, and shows how Scotus' theory applies to the metaphysics of the Incarnation. This book makes an important contribution to a neglected but crucial area of Scotus scholarship.

Cultural Connections

Cultural Connections PDF Author: Morris J. Vogel
Publisher: Temple University Press
ISBN: 9780877228400
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
Illustrates the history, civilization, and social conditions of the United States via artifacts, paintings, and other objects from the collections of cultural institutions in Philadelphia and environs.

David Armstrong

David Armstrong PDF Author: Stephen Mumford
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317493257
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
David (D. M.) Armstrong is one of Australia's greatest philosophers. His chief philosophical achievement has been the development of a core metaphysical programme, embracing the topics of universals, laws, modality and facts: a naturalistic metaphysics, consistent with a scientific view of the natural world. It is primarily through his owrk that Australian philosophy, and Australian metaphysics in particular, enjoys such a high reputation in the rest of the world. In this book Stephen Mumford offers an introduction to the full range of Armstrong's thought. Mumford begins with a discussion of Armstong's naturalism, his most general commitment, and his realism about universals. He then examines his theories of laws, modality and dispositions, which make up the basics of Armstrong's core theory. With this in place, Mumford explores his ideas on perception, mind and belief before returning to metaphysics in the last two chapters, looking at truth and the new view of instantiation. The book is a dispassionate, fair and unbiased account of Armstrong's thought. Although Armstong's is a body of work that Mumford regards highly and of real significance, he nevertheless highlights areas of weakness and issues about which there is room for further debate.

The Book of Absolutes

The Book of Absolutes PDF Author: William Gairdner
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773574697
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 415

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Book Description
A lively challenge to postmodern opinion that reveals satisfying and reliable certainties.