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universals
universals in philosophy, term applied to general or abstract objects such as concepts, qualities, relations, and numbers, as opposed to particular objects. The exact nature of a universal deeply concerned thinkers in the Middle Ages. The extreme realists, following Plato, maintained that universals exist independently of both the human mind and particular things. In nominalism universals are considered arbitrary constructions of the human mind. In conceptualism universals exist only in the mind, as concepts, but they are not arbitrary, as they reflect similarities among particular things. Conceptualism led to the moderate realism of St. Thomas Aquinas and John of Salisbury.
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"universals." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "universals." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 13, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-unvrsls.html "universals." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-unvrsls.html |
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universals
universals. Abstract concepts, representing the common elements belonging to individuals of the same genus or species. The medieval doctrine of universals derived from Greek philosophy. According to their answer to the question whether universals were things (‘res’) or only names (‘nomina’), philosophers subscribed to the system of Realism or Nominalism (qq.v.).
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "universals." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "universals." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 13, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-universals.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "universals." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 13, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-universals.html |
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