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Single Idea 10998
[filed under theme 15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 3. Abstraction by mind
]
Full Idea
Ways things might be are real, but only when abstracted from the actual way things are. They are brought out and distinguished by the mind, by abstraction, but are not dependent on mind for their existence.
Gist of Idea
The mind abstracts ways things might be, which are nonetheless real
Source
Stephen Read (Thinking About Logic [1995], Ch.4)
Book Ref
Read,Stephen: 'Thinking About Logic' [OUP 1995], p.107
A Reaction
To me this just flatly contradicts itself. The idea that the mind can 'bring something out' by its operations, with the result being then accepted as part of reality is nonsense on stilts. What is real is the powers that make the possibilities.
The
26 ideas
with the same theme
[singling out properties and parts of reality for special attention]:
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9092
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Abstracting A from B generates truth, as long as the connection is not denied
[Aquinas]
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9101
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Abstractive cognition knows universals abstracted from many singulars
[William of Ockham]
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9102
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If an animal approached from a distance, we might abstract 'animal' from one instance
[William of Ockham]
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10499
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We know by abstraction because we only understand composite things a part at a time
[Arnauld,A/Nicole,P]
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6711
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The mind creates abstract ideas by considering qualities separated from their objects
[Berkeley]
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10581
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I can only combine particulars in imagination; I can't create 'abstract' ideas
[Berkeley]
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9079
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We can focus our minds on what is common to a whole class, neglecting other aspects
[Mill]
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20363
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Leaves are unequal, but we form the concept 'leaf' by discarding their individual differences
[Nietzsche]
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9575
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Husserl identifies a positive mental act of unification, and a negative mental act for differences
[Husserl, by Frege]
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9032
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Before we can abstract from an instance of violet, we must first recognise it
[Price,HH]
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9035
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If judgement of a characteristic is possible, that part of abstraction must be complete
[Price,HH]
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9034
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There may be degrees of abstraction which allow recognition by signs, without full concepts
[Price,HH]
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9036
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There is pre-verbal sign-based abstraction, as when ice actually looks cold
[Price,HH]
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9037
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Intelligent behaviour, even in animals, has something abstract about it
[Price,HH]
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8775
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A big flea is a small animal, so 'big' and 'small' cannot be acquired by abstraction
[Geach]
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8776
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We cannot learn relations by abstraction, because their converse must be learned too
[Geach]
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15493
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Memory requires abstraction, as reminders of what cannot be fully remembered
[Martin,CB]
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15450
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Maybe abstraction is just mereological subtraction
[Lewis]
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18525
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Mental abstraction does not make what is abstracted mind-dependent
[Heil]
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10203
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We apprehend small, finite mathematical structures by abstraction from patterns
[Shapiro]
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8966
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Properties are facets of objects, only discussable separately by an act of abstraction
[Lowe]
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16561
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We can abstract by taking an exemplary case and ignoring the detail
[Machamer/Darden/Craver]
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10998
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The mind abstracts ways things might be, which are nonetheless real
[Read]
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4460
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Abstractions are formed by the mind when it concentrates on some, but not all, the features of a thing
[Moreland]
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8954
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Geometrical circles cannot identify a circular paint patch, presumably because they lack something
[Szabó]
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19736
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Neural networks can extract the car-ness of a car, or the chair-ness of a chair
[New Sci.]
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