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abstraction

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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.



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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
In his haste and abstraction he stuck a pickle-fork into his right eye, and on removing the fork the eye came with it.
Fantastic-Fables by Bierce, Ambrose View in context
Besides the investigation into the manner in which the deceased had met his death, there were serious questions to be settled relating to the cause of the fire, to the abstraction of the keys, and to the presence of a stranger in the vestry at the time when the flames broke out.
The Woman in White by Collins, Wilkie View in context
His attitude had in it a suggestion of abstraction, like that of a sleepwalker.
Present At A Hanging And Other Ghost Stories by Bierce, Ambrose View in context
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