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Single Idea 7952
[filed under theme 8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 3. Predicate Nominalism
]
Full Idea
Predicate nominalism is the view that what all things to which the same word applies have in common is simply our willingness to apply the same word to them.
Gist of Idea
If we apply the same word to different things, it is only because we are willing to do so
Source
report of Nelson Goodman (The Structure of Appearance [1951], Ch.6) by Cynthia Macdonald - Varieties of Things
Book Ref
Macdonald,Cynthia: 'Varieties of Things' [Blackwell 2005], p.227
A Reaction
This is Goodman's 'extreme nominalist' position. This seems also to be an anti-realist position, as it denies any 'joints' to nature (Idea 7953). It strikes me as daft. WHY are we willing to apply words in certain ways?
Related Idea
Idea 7953
Reasoning needs to cut nature accurately at the joints [Plato]
The
30 ideas
from Nelson Goodman
18749
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Goodman argued that the confirmation relation can never be formalised
[Goodman, by Horsten/Pettigrew]
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17646
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Goodman showed that every sound inductive argument has an unsound one of the same form
[Goodman, by Putnam]
|
14292
|
Dispositions seem more ethereal than behaviour; a non-occult account of them would be nice
[Goodman]
|
4794
|
We don't use laws to make predictions, we call things laws if we make predictions with them
[Goodman]
|
12394
|
If the result is bad, we change the rule; if we like the rule, we reject the result
[Goodman]
|
8113
|
Art is like understanding a natural language, and needs a grasp of a symbol system
[Goodman, by Gardner]
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20439
|
Artistic symbols are judged by the fruitfulness of their classifications
[Goodman, by Giovannelli]
|
20438
|
A performance is only an instance of a work if there is not a single error
[Goodman]
|
20437
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A copy only becomes an 'instance' of an artwork if there is a system of notation
[Goodman]
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20440
|
Art is a referential activity, hence indefinable, but it has a set of symptoms
[Goodman]
|
12191
|
Counterfactuals are true if logical or natural laws imply the consequence
[Goodman, by McFetridge]
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7956
|
If all and only red things were round things, we would need to specify the 'respect' of the resemblance
[Goodman, by Macdonald,C]
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7957
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Without respects of resemblance, we would collect blue book, blue pen, red pen, red clock together
[Goodman, by Macdonald,C]
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9920
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Two objects can apparently make up quite distinct arrangements in sets
[Goodman, by Burgess/Rosen]
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7952
|
If we apply the same word to different things, it is only because we are willing to do so
[Goodman, by Macdonald,C]
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15510
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Classes are a host of ethereal, platonic, pseudo entities
[Goodman]
|
10657
|
The counties of Utah, and the state, and its acres, are in no way different
[Goodman]
|
17650
|
We lack frames of reference to transform physics, biology and psychology into one another
[Goodman]
|
17649
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If the world is one it has many aspects, and if there are many worlds they will collect into one
[Goodman]
|
17651
|
Without words or other symbols, we have no world
[Goodman]
|
17654
|
A world can be full of variety or not, depending on how we sort it
[Goodman]
|
17653
|
Things can only be judged the 'same' by citing some respect of sameness
[Goodman]
|
17655
|
Grue and green won't be in the same world, as that would block induction entirely
[Goodman]
|
17656
|
Being primitive or prior always depends on a constructional system
[Goodman]
|
17657
|
We build our world, and ignore anything that won't fit
[Goodman]
|
17658
|
Users of digital thermometers recognise no temperatures in the gaps
[Goodman]
|
17652
|
Truth is irrelevant if no statements are involved
[Goodman]
|
17659
|
Reality is largely a matter of habit
[Goodman]
|
17661
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We don't recognise patterns - we invent them
[Goodman]
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17660
|
Discovery is often just finding a fit, like a jigsaw puzzle
[Goodman]
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