Abstract particulars
Encyclopedia
Abstract particulars are metaphysical
entities which are both abstract object
s and particular
s. Individual number
s are often classified as abstract particulars because they are neither concrete objects nor universals - they are particular things which do not themselves occur in space or time
. Tropes
are another example of entities cited as abstract particulars.
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
entities which are both abstract object
Abstract object
An abstract object is an object which does not exist at any particular time or place, but rather exists as a type of thing . In philosophy, an important distinction is whether an object is considered abstract or concrete. Abstract objects are sometimes called abstracta An abstract object is an...
s and particular
Particular
In philosophy, particulars are concrete entities existing in space and time as opposed to abstractions. There are, however, theories of abstract particulars or tropes. For example, Socrates is a particular...
s. Individual number
Number
A number is a mathematical object used to count and measure. In mathematics, the definition of number has been extended over the years to include such numbers as zero, negative numbers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and complex numbers....
s are often classified as abstract particulars because they are neither concrete objects nor universals - they are particular things which do not themselves occur in space or time
Spacetime
In physics, spacetime is any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single continuum. Spacetime is usually interpreted with space as being three-dimensional and time playing the role of a fourth dimension that is of a different sort from the spatial dimensions...
. Tropes
Trope (philosophy)
The term "trope" is both a term which denotes figurative and metaphorical language and one which has been used in various technical senses. The term trope derives from the Greek τρόπος , "a turn, a change", related to the root of the verb τρέπειν , "to turn, to direct, to alter, to change"; this...
are another example of entities cited as abstract particulars.
Further reading
- Campbell, KeithKeith Campbell (philosopher)Keith Campbell is an Australian philosopher working in metaphysics.With D.M. Armstrong, Campbell is one of the founders of so called Australian metaphysics and, within it, of a variety of trope theory...
, 1981. “The Metaphysic of Abstract Particulars,” Midwest Studies in Philosophy 6: 477-488. - Stout, G. F., 1921. “The Nature of Universals and Propositions,” The Problem of Universals, ed. Charles Landesman, New York: Basic Books, 1971: 154-166.
- 1923 “Are the Characteristics of Particular Things Universal or Particular?,” ibid. 178-183.