Single Idea 4048

[catalogued under 7. Existence / E. Categories / 2. Categorisation]

Full Idea

Infant behaviour implies inbuilt ontological categories of thing, place, event, path, action, sound, manner, amount and number. ...There is an algebra of relationships between them.

Clarification

'Ontology' is a theory about what exists

Gist of Idea

Infant brains appear to have inbuilt ontological categories

Source

Alvin I. Goldman (Phil Applications of Cognitive Science [1993], p.109)

Book Reference

Goldman,Alvin I.: 'Philosophical Applications of Cognitive Science' [Westview 1993], p.109


A Reaction

Interesting. We would expect the categories in infant brains to have instrumental value, but we don't have to accept them as true. Adults (even Aristotle) are big infants.