Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Hermarchus, Anthony Quinton and Johanna Seibt

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7. Existence / E. Categories / 5. Category Anti-Realism

15730	Extreme nominalists say all classification is arbitrary convention [Quinton]
	Full Idea: Pure, extreme nominalism sees all classification as the product of arbitrary convention.
	From: Anthony Quinton (The Nature of Things [1973], 9 'Nat')
	A reaction: I'm not sure what the word 'arbitrary' is doing there. Nominalists are not daft, and if they can classify any way they like, they are not likely to choose an 'arbitrary' system. Pragmatism tells the right story here.