Single Idea 9578

[catalogued under 7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 7. Abstract/Concrete / b. Levels of abstraction]

Full Idea

If an object is just presentation, we can pay less attention to a property and it disappears. By letting one characteristic after another disappear, we obtain concepts that are increasingly more abstract.

Gist of Idea

If objects are just presentation, we get increasing abstraction by ignoring their properties

Source

Gottlob Frege (Review of Husserl's 'Phil of Arithmetic' [1894], p.324)

Book Reference

-: 'Mind July 1972' [-], p.324


A Reaction

Frege despises this view. Note there is scope in the despised view for degrees or levels of abstraction, defined in terms of number of properties ignored. Part of Frege's criticism is realist. He retains the object, while Husserl imagines it different.