Single Idea 6440

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 3. Predicate Nominalism]

Full Idea

Those who dislike universals have thought that they could be merely words; the trouble with this view is that a word itself is a universal.

Gist of Idea

Universals can't just be words, because words themselves are universals

Source

Bertrand Russell (My Philosophical Development [1959], Ch.14)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'My Philosophical Development' [Routledge 1993], p.128


A Reaction

Russell gradually lost his faith in most things, but never in universals. I find it unconvincing that we might dismiss nominalism so easily. I'm not sure why the application of the word 'cat' could not just be conventional.