Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Jerry A. Fodor, Ren Descartes and Wolfgang Knne

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2 ideas

8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 1. Universals

5016	Five universals: genus, species, difference, property, accident [Descartes]
	Full Idea: The five commonly enumerated universals are: genus, species, difference, property and accident.
	From: René Descartes (Principles of Philosophy [1646], I.59)
	A reaction: Interestingly, this seems to be Descartes passing on his medieval Aristotelian inheritance, in which things are defined by placing them in a class, and then noting what distinguishes them within that class.

8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 6. Platonic Forms / b. Partaking

2475	Don't define something by a good instance of it; a good example is a special case of the ordinary example [Fodor]
	Full Idea: It's a mistake to try to construe the notion of an instance in terms of the notion of a good instance (e.g. Platonic Forms); the latter is patently a special case of the former, so the right order of exposition is the other way round.
	From: Jerry A. Fodor (In a Critical Condition [2000], Ch. 4)