back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 10396

[from 'works' by Peter Abelard, in 8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 1. Nominalism / b. Nominalism about universals ]

Full Idea

Abelard argued that if the universal 'animal' were completely present in both Socrates and an ass, making each wholly an animal, then the same thing, animal, will be simultaneously rational and irrational, with contraries present in the whole thing.

Gist of Idea

If 'animal' is wholly present in Socrates and an ass, then 'animal' is rational and irrational

Source

report of Peter Abelard (works [1135]) by Peter King - Peter Abelard 2

Book Reference

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.6


A Reaction

If we have universals for rationality and irrationality, they can distinguish the two. But we must also say that rationality is not an aspect of animal, which seems to mean that mind isn't either. What is the essence of an animal? Not reason?