Single Idea 9619

[catalogued under 7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 7. Abstract/Concrete / a. Abstract/concrete]

Full Idea

David's painting of Napoleon (on a white horse) is a 'picture' of Napoleon, and a 'symbol' of leadership, courage, adventure. It manages to be about something concrete and something abstract.

Gist of Idea

David's 'Napoleon' is about something concrete and something abstract

Source

James Robert Brown (Philosophy of Mathematics [1999], Ch. 3)

Book Reference

Brown,James Robert: 'Philosophy of Mathematics' [Routledge 2002], p.40


A Reaction

This strikes me as the germ of an extremely important idea - that abstraction is involved in our perception of the concrete, so that they are not two entirely separate realms. Seeing 'as' involves abstraction.