Abstract entity - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about Abstract entity Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,508,556,246 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

abstraction
(redirected from Abstract entity)

    Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.04 sec.

abstraction

In philosophy, the process by which universals and concepts are formed in our minds or by which we acquire general words. Many modern philosophers, following Ludwig Wittgenstein, hold that no concepts are acquired by abstraction, because the meaning of a word is its public use, not a private idea.

Aristotle held that circularity does not exist apart from circular things, and that we acquire the abstraction of circularity by induction – that is, by generalizing from coins, hoops, and wheels. English philosopher John Locke thought that the meaning of a general word, such as ‘triangle’, was an abstract idea in the mind.



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
 Email
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
It tends to figure only as an object of power (the abstract entity on which power works) or as a representation (the body as image).
From hegemony to governmentality: changing conceptions of power in ... by Gunn, Simon / Journal of Social History
The fundamental sign is an abstract entity, which contains a potential for development.
Knowledge profiling: the basis for knowledge organization by Thellefsen, Torkild / Library Trends
Concrete objects like viruses can be members of an abstract entity, that is, an entity of a different logical type, although they cannot be a part of such an abstract concept.
Emerging issues in virus taxonomy by Mahy, Brian W.J. / Emerging Infectious Diseases
More results
 
Hutchinson browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.