Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Intro to Naming,Necessity and Natural Kinds', 'On the Frame of Reference' and 'Thinking About Mechanisms'

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15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 3. Abstraction by mind

16561	We can abstract by taking an exemplary case and ignoring the detail [Machamer/Darden/Craver]
	Full Idea: Abstractions may be constructed by taking an exemplary case or instance and removing detail.
	From: Machamer,P/Darden,L/Craver,C (Thinking About Mechanisms [2000], 5.3)
	A reaction: I love 'removing detail'. That's it. Simple. I think this process is the basis of our whole capacity to formulate abstract concepts. Forget Frege - he's just describing the results of the process. How do we decide what is 'detail'? Essentialism!