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    Universals are signs of things referring to several indiv... — Carmelics
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    Home/Philosophy of Language
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    Universals are signs of things referring to several individuals at once

    Philosophy of Language
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    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Universals are naturally produced in our intellect
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    • 2.These signs refer to several individuals at once
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
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    • 1.Signs require conventional institution or mental acts of imposition; natural production alone does not confer genuine referential function.
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    • 2.Ockham demonstrated that a single mental term can perform the work of universality without requiring any shared nature beyond causal similarity.
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    • 3.If universals were merely signs, their application criteria would be arbitrary, yet we track real resemblances that constrain which individuals fall under them.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
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    • 1.Frege's distinction between sense and reference shows that a term referring to multiple individuals must have determinate sense, which a purely produced sign lacks.
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    • 2.A sign that refers to several individuals at once presupposes a prior criterion of grouping, meaning the universal's unity cannot be explained by its sign-function alone.
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    Topics

    Philosophy of LanguageTruth & Knowledge

    Connections

    1 topic

    Consciousness & Mind1 linked

    Related

    A sign that refers to several individuals at once presupposes a prior criterion ...Frege's distinction between sense and reference shows that a term referring to m...If universals were merely signs, their application criteria would be arbitrary, ...Ockham demonstrated that a single mental term can perform the work of universali...
    +3 moreShow less
    Signs require conventional institution or mental acts of imposition; natural pro...These signs refer to several individuals at onceUniversals are naturally produced in our intellect

    Similar

    These signs refer to several individuals at once94%Arbitrary signs can be associated with any conceivable content78%Types have a definite identity as signs despite admitting a great vari...77%Natural signs communicate through resemblance to their objects, making...76%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: sharpe
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    The third part (pp. 49–68) serves as an introduction to the detailed and reasoned solution of the problem that Sharpe proposes in the following section. With the exception of the opening pages (49–50), which are devoted to the identification of the entities designated by the term ‘universal’ (see § 5 below), this part consists of an examination of eight opinions on the problem of universals. Most of them are anonymous. Sharpe does not appear to be interested in criticising this or that particula
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit