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Single Idea 8505

[filed under theme 8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 1. Nominalism / a. Nominalism ]

Full Idea

A philosophical account of a general sort is required of what it is for different tokens to be of the same type. To refuse to give such an account is to be a metaphysical ostrich.

Gist of Idea

Refusal to explain why different tokens are of the same type is to be an ostrich

Source

David M. Armstrong (Against 'Ostrich Nominalism' [1980], §1)

Book Ref

'Properties', ed/tr. Mellor,D.H. /Oliver,A [OUP 1997], p.104

A Reaction

This defines Ostrich Nominalism (a label Armstrong aims at Quine). I certainly sympathise with Armstrong. If there is no more to a class (a type) than just having members (tokens), nothing is explain. What is natural, essential, intensional etc.?

The 17 ideas with the same theme [general ideas about nominalism]:

15386 If only the singular exists, science is impossible, as that relies on true generalities [Duns Scotus, by Panaccio]
15387 If things were singular they would only differ numerically, but horse and tulip differ more than that [Duns Scotus, by Panaccio]
16639 Only individual bodies exist [Bacon]
8494 Obviously 'Socrates is wise' and 'Socrates has wisdom' express the same fact [Ramsey]
10151 I am a deeply convinced nominalist [Tarski]
8505 Refusal to explain why different tokens are of the same type is to be an ostrich [Armstrong]
18957 Nominalism only makes sense if it is materialist [Putnam]
10534 'Nominalism' used to mean denial of universals, but now means denial of abstract objects [Dummett]
9880 Nominalism assumes unmediated mental contact with objects [Dummett]
11913 For nominalists, predicate extensions are inexplicable facts [Molnar]
11962 Nominalists only accept first-order logic [Molnar]
10744 Nominalism can reject abstractions, or universals, or sets [Oliver]
8961 Nominalists are motivated by Ockham's Razor and a distrust of unobservables [Hoffman/Rosenkrantz]
4482 Austere nominalism has to take a host of things (like being red, or human) as primitive [Loux]
21633 Nominalists suspect that properties etc are our projections, and could have been different [Williamson]
9435 A 'porridge' nominalist thinks we just divide reality in any way that suits us [Mumford]
4459 Moderate nominalism attempts to embrace the existence of properties while avoiding universals [Moreland]