Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy link
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy link
Interview by Bryan Magee
- Miles Burnyeat on Plato (part 1)
- Miles Burnyeat on Plato (part 2)
- Miles Burnyeat on Plato (part 3)
- Miles Burnyeat on Plato (part 4)
- Miles Burnyeat on Plato (part 5)
The main thing I think about with Plato is the idea of universals. Here I am just going to give my own ideas about universals not interpret Plato. First, I would say that most words correspond to universals, not to particulars or individuals. I believe with Whitehead that particulars or individuals are events that only occur once. Thus, there would be no opportunity to establish a name for an event. Also, there would be no opportunity to use it again as events never recur. Thus, any words for events will really be disguised definite descriptions. Every person that uses language has their own way of using words that that are dispositions that correspond roughly to universals. These dispositions can be expressed in subjunctive conditionals. Just as salt has a disposition to dissolve in water so people have a disposition to describe the substance that tastes like salt , “salt.” Quine thought disposition of salt to dissolve in water can be explained by its molecular structure. That is true, but the properties of the molecular structure itself – its dispositions, depend on some laws of chemistry and physics. But, at some point you reach laws that cannot be described in terms of other laws or dispositions. The ultimate particles or waves must obey some ultimate laws. We do not yet know what those ultimate laws are. It appears most of them are differential equations and some of them involve only probabilities. Differential equations mostly involve quantities that vary continuously. Quantum mechanics does seem to involve some discrete quantities. Our every day and even our technical languages seem to just involve discrete words or symbols. There are a non-denumerable number of points on a line that cannot be described in any discrete language. Our dispositions to use language are our intensions which give the meanings of words. We have evolved to use a language that helps us survive. That is why we have words for green and blue but not for grue. See: Goodman.