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Single Idea 11130

[filed under theme 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 Ref

'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.

The 14 ideas with the same theme [concepts as necessary and sufficient conditions of groups]:

6985 Analysis is finding necessary and sufficient conditions by studying possible cases [Jackson]
17706 The essence of a concept is either its definition or its conceptual relations? [Mares]
17973 The theoretical and practical definitions for the classical view are very hard to find [Murphy]
17969 The classical definitional approach cannot distinguish typical and atypical category members [Murphy]
17970 Classical concepts follow classical logic, but concepts in real life don't work that way [Murphy]
17971 Classical concepts are transitive hierarchies, but actual categories may be intransitive [Murphy]
17972 The classical core is meant to be the real concept, but actually seems unimportant [Murphy]
11128 Classically, concepts give necessary and sufficient conditions for falling under them [Margolis/Laurence]
11130 Typicality challenges the classical view; we see better fruit-prototypes in apples than in plums [Margolis/Laurence]
11129 The classical theory explains acquisition, categorization and reference [Margolis/Laurence]
11131 It may be that our concepts (such as 'knowledge') have no definitional structure [Margolis/Laurence]
18591 Classical theory can't explain facts like typical examples being categorised quicker [Machery]
18590 Classical theory implies variety in processing times, but this does not generally occur [Machery]
18583 Many categories don't seem to have a definition [Machery]