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Single Idea 18525
[filed under theme 15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 3. Abstraction by mind
]
Full Idea
Talk of abstraction and 'partial consideration' (Locke) does not make what is abstracted mind-dependent. In abstracting, you attend to what is there to be considered.
Gist of Idea
Mental abstraction does not make what is abstracted mind-dependent
Source
John Heil (The Universe as We Find It [2012], 05.7)
Book Ref
Heil,John: 'The Universe as We Find It' [OUP 2012], p.106
A Reaction
Quite so. The point is to focus on aspects of reality. Does anyone seriously doubt that reality has 'aspects'?
The
26 ideas
with the same theme
[singling out properties and parts of reality for special attention]:
9092
|
Abstracting A from B generates truth, as long as the connection is not denied
[Aquinas]
|
9101
|
Abstractive cognition knows universals abstracted from many singulars
[William of Ockham]
|
9102
|
If an animal approached from a distance, we might abstract 'animal' from one instance
[William of Ockham]
|
10499
|
We know by abstraction because we only understand composite things a part at a time
[Arnauld,A/Nicole,P]
|
6711
|
The mind creates abstract ideas by considering qualities separated from their objects
[Berkeley]
|
10581
|
I can only combine particulars in imagination; I can't create 'abstract' ideas
[Berkeley]
|
9079
|
We can focus our minds on what is common to a whole class, neglecting other aspects
[Mill]
|
20363
|
Leaves are unequal, but we form the concept 'leaf' by discarding their individual differences
[Nietzsche]
|
9575
|
Husserl identifies a positive mental act of unification, and a negative mental act for differences
[Husserl, by Frege]
|
9032
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Before we can abstract from an instance of violet, we must first recognise it
[Price,HH]
|
9035
|
If judgement of a characteristic is possible, that part of abstraction must be complete
[Price,HH]
|
9034
|
There may be degrees of abstraction which allow recognition by signs, without full concepts
[Price,HH]
|
9036
|
There is pre-verbal sign-based abstraction, as when ice actually looks cold
[Price,HH]
|
9037
|
Intelligent behaviour, even in animals, has something abstract about it
[Price,HH]
|
8776
|
We cannot learn relations by abstraction, because their converse must be learned too
[Geach]
|
8775
|
A big flea is a small animal, so 'big' and 'small' cannot be acquired by abstraction
[Geach]
|
15493
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Memory requires abstraction, as reminders of what cannot be fully remembered
[Martin,CB]
|
15450
|
Maybe abstraction is just mereological subtraction
[Lewis]
|
18525
|
Mental abstraction does not make what is abstracted mind-dependent
[Heil]
|
10203
|
We apprehend small, finite mathematical structures by abstraction from patterns
[Shapiro]
|
8966
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Properties are facets of objects, only discussable separately by an act of abstraction
[Lowe]
|
16561
|
We can abstract by taking an exemplary case and ignoring the detail
[Machamer/Darden/Craver]
|
10998
|
The mind abstracts ways things might be, which are nonetheless real
[Read]
|
4460
|
Abstractions are formed by the mind when it concentrates on some, but not all, the features of a thing
[Moreland]
|
8954
|
Geometrical circles cannot identify a circular paint patch, presumably because they lack something
[Szabó]
|
19736
|
Neural networks can extract the car-ness of a car, or the chair-ness of a chair
[New Sci.]
|