Single Idea 11130

[catalogued under 18. Thought / D. Concepts / 4. Structure of Concepts / c. Classical concepts]

Full Idea

The classical view is challenged by the discovery that certain categories are taken to be more typical, with typicality widely correlating with other data. Apples are judged to be more typical of (and have more common features with) fruit than plums are.

Gist of Idea

Typicality challenges the classical view; we see better fruit-prototypes in apples than in plums

Source

E Margolis/S Laurence (Concepts [2009], 2.1)

Book Reference

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.7


A Reaction

This discovery that people use prototypes in thinking has been the biggest idea to ever hit the philosophy of concepts, and simply cannot be ignored (as long as the research keeps reinforcing it, which I believe it does). The classical view might adapt.