Philosopher Prof. John Haldane discusses Aquinas and Realism, exploring Aquinas' alignment with common sense realism and his defense of realism. The podcast delves into the historical debate between realism and nominalism, emphasizing Aquinas' stance on general natures. It also explores the concepts of existence and knowledge, linguistic generics in child development, and proper accidents in Aquinas's perspective.
Aquinas emphasizes common sense realism, contrasting modern anti-realism.
Aquinas attributes 'propria' to identify kind-specific features aiding concept formation.
Aquinas highlights the mind-dependent nature of concepts and gradual understanding of objects.
Deep dives
Aquinas and Realism: An Overview
Aquinas has been celebrated for his philosophical realism, contrasting modern anti-realism, with a focus on Aquinas as a defender of common sense. The notion of Aquinas as a realist philosopher of common sense gained traction relatively recently, highlighting his elevation as a champion of realism. This perspective emphasizes the distinction between individual things and general natures, highlighting Aquinas's nuanced position on the existence of general natures as mind-dependent.
Propria and General Natures
Aquinas's concept of 'propria' as non-essential yet non-accidental characteristics of objects helps in identifying members of a kind through their necessitated features. This attribution of 'propria' contributes to reliable generalizations and concept formations, allowing individuals to grasp the essence of things even when unaware of the specific nature. The focus on 'propria' serves as a key element in understanding Aquinas's view on the essence of objects.
Aquinas and Completeness of Concepts
Contrasting Descartes' view of complete concepts capturing essential properties, Aquinas emphasizes the mind-dependent nature of concepts and their relation to objects. Unlike the Cartesian assumption of complete self-conception revealing essential properties, Aquinas emphasizes the gradual understanding of objects through general natures, emphasizing human conceptual limitations. Aquinas's perspective highlights the complexities of grasping essential properties through evolving knowledge and concept formation.
Understanding Natural Kind Terms
Aquinas's perspective aligns with contemporary metaphysical views, emphasizing the role of sensory and ideational structures in cognitive acts. The reliance on identifiable characteristics, such as propria, aids in concept formation and object identification, reflecting a mind-dependent process. Aquinas's emphasis on intrinsic characteristics and the mind's role in determining the content of concepts underscores a nuanced approach to understanding the essence of things.
Completeness of Concepts and Essence
Aquinas's interpretation of concepts capturing essential features contributes to a broader understanding of objects' essences. The reliance on propria in concept formation allows for reliable generalizations and identification of kind-specific characteristics. Aquinas's view diverges from Cartesian perspectives on complete conceptual knowledge, highlighting the intricate relationship between conceptual content and the essence of things in the process of knowledge acquisition and understanding.
