Single Idea 14163

[catalogued under 7. Existence / E. Categories / 3. Proposed Categories]

Full Idea

Among terms which appear to exist, there are, we may say, four great classes: 1) instants, 2) points, 3) terms which occupy instants but not points, 4) terms which occupy both points and instants. Analysis cannot explain 'occupy'.

Gist of Idea

Four classes of terms: instants, points, terms at instants only, and terms at instants and points

Source

Bertrand Russell (The Principles of Mathematics [1903], §437)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'Principles of Mathematics' [Routledge 1992], p.465


A Reaction

This is a massively reductive scientific approach to categorising existence. Note that it homes in on 'terms', which seems a rather linguistic approach, although Russell is cautious about such things.