Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 178 | Jody Azzouni on What Is and Isn't Real
Jan 3, 2022
In this discussion, Jody Azzouni, a philosophy professor at Tufts University and a proponent of nominalism, dives into the intriguing nature of reality. He explores whether abstract objects like numbers are truly 'real' or simply useful labels. The conversation delves into the nuances of existence, comparing fictional entities to tangible ones, while also critiquing the traditional Greek models of mathematical proof. Azzouni emphasizes how language shapes our perception of reality, inviting listeners to rethink what we define as 'real'.
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What is Real?
- Real things exist independently of minds and language.
- Jody Azzouni uses Sherlock Holmes as an example of something not mind-independent.
Countries: A Complex Case
- Countries have real elements but aren't straightforwardly real.
- Azzouni analyzes them by looking at the real parts and how we bundle them conceptually.
Linguistic Strategies
- Humans naturally apply the same linguistic strategies to abstract and concrete things.
- This makes it easy to talk about countries or fictional characters as if they were objects.