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Single Idea 11132

[filed under theme 18. Thought / D. Concepts / 4. Structure of Concepts / d. Concepts as prototypes ]

Full Idea

In the prototype theory of concepts, a lexical concept has probabilistic structure in that something falls under it if it satisfies a sufficient number of properties encoded by the constituents. It originates in Wittgenstein's 'family resemblance'.

Gist of Idea

The prototype theory is probabilistic, picking something out if it has sufficient of the properties

Source

E Margolis/S Laurence (Concepts [2009], 2.2)

Book Ref

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.8

A Reaction

It would seem unlikely to be a matter of the 'number' of properties, and would have to involve some notion of what was essential to the prototype.

Related Idea

Idea 4141 Various games have a 'family resemblance', as their similarities overlap and criss-cross [Wittgenstein]

The 22 ideas with the same theme [concepts as built around typical examples of things]:

12622 Many concepts lack prototypes, and complex prototypes aren't built from simple ones [Fodor]
12659 Maybe stereotypes are a stage in concept acquisition (rather than a by-product) [Fodor]
12660 One stereotype might be a paradigm for two difference concepts [Fodor]
15688 Categories are characterized by distance from a prototype [Gelman]
17975 There is no 'ideal' bird or dog, and prototypes give no information about variability [Murphy]
17976 Prototypes are unified representations of the entire category (rather than of members) [Murphy]
18691 The prototype theory uses observed features, but can't include their construction [Murphy]
17983 The prototype theory handles hierarchical categories and combinations of concepts well [Murphy]
17985 Prototypes theory of concepts is best, as a full description with weighted typical features [Murphy]
17986 Learning concepts is forming prototypes with a knowledge structure [Murphy]
11132 The prototype theory is probabilistic, picking something out if it has sufficient of the properties [Margolis/Laurence]
11133 Prototype theory categorises by computing the number of shared constituents [Margolis/Laurence]
11134 People don't just categorise by apparent similarities [Margolis/Laurence]
11135 Complex concepts have emergent properties not in the ingredient prototypes [Margolis/Laurence]
11136 Many complex concepts obviously have no prototype [Margolis/Laurence]
18594 Knowing typical properties of things is especially useful in induction [Machery]
18593 The term 'prototype' is used for both typical category members, and the representation [Machery]
18595 Prototype theories are based on computation of similarities with the prototype [Machery]
18596 Prototype theorists don't tell us how we select the appropriate prototype [Machery]
18603 Maybe concepts are not the typical properties, but the ideal properties [Machery]
18605 It is more efficient to remember the prototype, than repeatedly create it from exemplars [Machery]
18606 The prototype view predicts that typical members are easier to categorise [Machery]