Universals

Paper Summary:

This paper tackles the issue of "universals" from all sides, looking at both the Platonic and Aristotelian models to understand the theories that arose from those bases. The idea of a universal is thoroughly defined, explored in terms of different theories (Bundle Theory, Nominalism, Classic Platonism, etc.), and finally boiled down to a discussion of the implication that the idea of "universals" has in regards to the more general notions of "nothingness" and "somethingness".

From the Paper:

"The following essay is focussed on exploring all aspects of the theory of universals as it applies to metaphysical investigation. I will proceed in defining universal in general terms, presenting the arguments that support universal theory, presenting the opposing arguments, briefly defining the individual nominilist theories, and finally presenting my own thoughts concerning universals. I have tried to present the following material logically and comprehensibly, to eliminate as many assumptions as possible, hopefully providing a coherent step by step exploration of universals and related issues."

More papers on Universals:

• Term Paper # 144922 : "Universals in Medieval Philosophy"
• Analytical Essay # 139502 : "The Universals of Plato, Abelard and Occam"
• Essay # 62657 : "The Problem of Universals: Boethius"

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