Reality has a definite structure. Being conscious of reality has nothing to do with its definite-ness or structure.
Reality exists independently of it being perceived.
Reality is.
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Wolfram uses the word embedded to describe how the observer is never outside the system that it is observing. My own description of the internal world within the external world is like this embedded-ness of being.
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“… made of atoms of space …” (Stephen Wolfram)
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That’s an insightful observation. Nominalism can indeed be seen as a precursor to many ideas in modern linguistics. Here’s how nominalism relates to linguistic concepts:
Nominalism as a Linguistic Explanation:
- Names and Labels: At its core, nominalism posits that universals are merely names or labels we use to group similar particulars. This idea prefigures the linguistic notion that words are symbols we use to represent concepts and categories in the world.
- Language and Classification: Nominalists argue that our classifications of the world are based on linguistic conventions rather than on inherent properties of objects. This resonates with the linguistic idea that language shapes our understanding and categorization of the world.
- Conceptual Schemes: The nominalist view that concepts are derived from the particular instances we observe aligns with the idea in linguistics that our conceptual schemes are constructed through language. This construction is based on shared use and agreement within a linguistic community.
Modern Linguistics and Nominalism:
- Saussure’s Structuralism: Ferdinand de Saussure, a foundational figure in modern linguistics, emphasized the arbitrary nature of the sign (the relationship between the signifier and the signified). This idea complements nominalism’s view that names (signifiers) are not inherently tied to the objects (signified) they represent.
- Language Relativity: The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which suggests that the structure of a language affects its speakers’ perception and categorization of the world, can be seen as an extension of nominalist ideas. It supports the notion that our understanding of universals is mediated by linguistic structures.
- Constructivist Linguistics: Constructivist approaches in linguistics, which focus on how language constructs and is constructed by social and cognitive processes, echo nominalist themes. They emphasize that our linguistic categories are shaped by usage and social agreement rather than by objective realities.
Philosophical Implications:
- Anti-Essentialism: Nominalism’s rejection of inherent essences in favor of linguistic conventions prefigures anti-essentialist views in linguistics and philosophy. These views argue that categories and identities are not fixed but are constructed through language and social practices.
- Dynamic and Contextual Understanding: Both nominalism and modern linguistic theories promote a dynamic and context-dependent understanding of concepts. They suggest that meanings are not static but evolve through usage and interaction.
- Pragmatic Utility: The pragmatic aspect of nominalism, which values concepts for their utility in communication and categorization, aligns with linguistic pragmatics. This branch of linguistics studies how context influences the interpretation and use of language.
Conclusion:
Nominalism provides a linguistic explanation of universals before the formal development of the field of linguistics. It anticipates many ideas that are central to modern linguistic theory, such as the arbitrary nature of linguistic signs, the constructed nature of concepts, and the influence of language on thought and categorization. By recognizing these connections, we can appreciate the enduring relevance of nominalist ideas in contemporary discussions about language and meaning.
(Conversation with ChatGPT 4o)
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Adopting a realist perspective on universals offers several benefits:
- Coherence and Consistency: Realism provides a coherent and consistent explanation for the similarities between different particulars. By positing that universals exist independently, it can systematically explain why objects share common properties.
- Simplified Explanation: Realism can simplify explanations of phenomena by attributing shared characteristics to the existence of universals. For example, explaining why all red objects share the property of redness becomes straightforward if redness is considered a universal.
- Support for Scientific Theories: Many scientific theories implicitly or explicitly rely on the existence of universals to classify and understand natural phenomena. Realism supports this framework by affirming that these classifications reflect real, underlying universals.
- Philosophical Tradition: Realism has a long philosophical tradition, with notable proponents such as Plato and Aristotle, providing a rich intellectual heritage and extensive literature for study and reference.
- Ontological Commitment: Realism’s commitment to the existence of universals can offer a more robust ontological foundation. This can be appealing to those who seek a more grounded and substantive account of reality.
- Facilitating Communication: By assuming the reality of universals, communication and shared understanding among individuals become easier. When we talk about “justice” or “beauty,” realism assumes these terms refer to real, commonly understood entities, aiding in mutual comprehension.
- Objective Knowledge: Realism can support the notion of objective knowledge. If universals are real and independent of human thought, it implies that knowledge about these universals can be objective and not merely subjective or conventional.
- Moral and Ethical Implications: In ethics, realism about universals can provide a foundation for objective moral values. If moral universals like “goodness” or “justice” exist independently, it supports the idea of objective moral truths.
While these benefits can make realism an attractive position, it is also important to consider the challenges and counterarguments posed by nominalism and other anti-realist perspectives.
Adopting an anti-realist perspective on universals offers several benefits:
- Parsimony: Anti-realism, particularly nominalism, tends to be more parsimonious. It avoids positing the existence of abstract entities beyond the particulars we directly observe. This aligns with the principle of Occam’s Razor, which favors simpler theories with fewer ontological commitments.
- Avoiding Metaphysical Issues: Anti-realism avoids the complex metaphysical problems associated with the existence of universals. It sidesteps questions about the nature, location, and interaction of these abstract entities with the physical world.
- Focus on Empirical Observation: By emphasizing the observation and description of particulars, anti-realism encourages a more empirical and scientific approach. It aligns well with empirical methodologies that focus on concrete, observable phenomena.
- Flexibility in Conceptual Schemes: Anti-realism allows for greater flexibility in how we categorize and conceptualize the world. Since universals are not considered real entities, we are free to adapt our conceptual schemes based on practical utility and changing circumstances.
- Compatibility with Modern Science: Modern science often employs a nominalist or anti-realist framework, treating scientific concepts and classifications as useful tools rather than as reflecting real, independent universals. This approach aligns with the pragmatic aspects of scientific practice.
- Epistemological Modesty: Anti-realism can promote a more modest epistemological stance. By denying the independent existence of universals, it recognizes the limits of our knowledge and the constructed nature of our conceptual frameworks.
- Reduction of Abstract Entities: Anti-realism reduces the number of abstract entities one must commit to, focusing instead on the concrete and tangible. This can lead to a more grounded and less speculative philosophical position.
- Practical Utility: Anti-realism often emphasizes the practical utility of concepts and terms. It views these as tools for navigating and making sense of the world, rather than as reflections of a deeper metaphysical reality.
- Pluralism and Context-Sensitivity: Anti-realism supports a pluralistic and context-sensitive approach to understanding the world. It acknowledges that different cultures and contexts may have different ways of categorizing and conceptualizing reality, without insisting on a single, objective set of universals.
- Alignment with Linguistic and Cognitive Theories: Many contemporary linguistic and cognitive theories adopt an anti-realist stance, treating categories and concepts as products of human cognition and language rather than as reflections of pre-existing universals.
While these benefits can make anti-realism an attractive position, it is also important to consider the challenges and counterarguments posed by realism and other perspectives on universals.
(Conversation with ChatGPT 4o)
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You do not need a mind-independent universal to reach consensus of meaning. Consensus can be reached through the process of interaction.
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1. Physical objects exist independently of them being perceived.
2. Universals do not exist independently of them being thought.
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Five metronomes are on a plank which sits upon two cans on their sides. A person starts each metronome which at first are all out of synchronicity. After about one minute they all sync to the same rhythm.
This is an analogy of how things, thoughts, and words sync. We like to sync because we share the reality. We are interconnected, so we sync.
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I have always been in two minds about materialism and physicalism, about which is the better or correct term.
R had persuaded me that the mind is not another “substance” as such but that it can be described as a physical mind. To be “physical” is to be matter or energy. In the case of mind it is physical because it is energy. To be precise, it is a certain configuration of energy. Mind is organized energy.
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Let me call thrownness “situatedness”.
There is always a time and place for which something exists. If something is without time and place, it does not exist.
theoria 