Full Idea
We may have to accept uninstantiated universals because the properties and relations of abstract objects may need to be acknowledged.
Gist of Idea
Uninstantiated universals seem to exist if they themselves have properties
Source
Alex Oliver (The Metaphysics of Properties [1996], §11)
Book Reference
-: 'Mind' [-], p.28
A Reaction
This is the problem of 'abstract reference'. 'Courage matters more than kindness'; 'Pink is more like red than like yellow'. Not an impressive argument. All you need is second-level abstraction.