Single Idea 15442

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 3. Instantiated Universals]

Full Idea

Armstrong takes universals generally, and structural universals along with the rest, to be abstractions from their particular instances.

Gist of Idea

Universals are abstractions from their particular instances

Source

report of David M. Armstrong (What is a Law of Nature? [1983], p.83-4) by David Lewis - Against Structural Universals 'The pictorial'

Book Reference

Lewis,David: 'Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology' [CUP 1999], p.92


A Reaction

To me, 'abstracted' implies a process of human psychology, a way of thinking about the instances. I don't see how there can be an 'abstracted' relation which is a part of the external world. That makes his laws of nature human creations.