Ideas from 'Universals' by David M. Armstrong [1995], by Theme Structure

[found in 'A Companion to Metaphysics' (ed/tr Kim,Jaegwon/Sosa,Ernest) [Blackwell 1995,0-631-19999-3]].

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8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 13. Tropes / a. Nature of tropes

4444	One moderate nominalist view says that properties and relations exist, but they are particulars

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 13. Tropes / b. Critique of tropes

4445	If properties and relations are particulars, there is still the problem of how to classify and group them

8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 1. Universals

4448	Should we decide which universals exist a priori (through words), or a posteriori (through science)?

8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 4. Uninstantiated Universals

4446	It is claimed that some universals are not exemplified by any particular, so must exist separately

8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 2. Resemblance Nominalism

4440	'Resemblance Nominalism' finds that in practice the construction of resemblance classes is hard

4439	'Resemblance Nominalism' says properties are resemblances between classes of particulars

8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 3. Predicate Nominalism

4431	'Predicate Nominalism' says that a 'universal' property is just a predicate applied to lots of things

8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 4. Concept Nominalism

4433	Concept and predicate nominalism miss out some predicates, and may be viciously regressive

4432	'Concept Nominalism' says a 'universal' property is just a mental concept applied to lots of things

8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 5. Class Nominalism

4434	'Class Nominalism' says that properties or kinds are merely membership of a set (e.g. of white things)

4435	'Class Nominalism' cannot explain co-extensive properties, or sets with random members

4436	'Class Nominalism' may explain properties if we stick to 'natural' sets, and ignore random ones

8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 6. Mereological Nominalism

4437	'Mereological Nominalism' sees whiteness as a huge white object consisting of all the white things

4438	'Mereological Nominalism' may work for whiteness, but it doesn't seem to work for squareness