IndividualsSince its publication in 1959, Individuals has become a modern philosophical classic. Bold in scope and ambition, it continues to influence debates in metaphysics, philosophy of logic and language, and epistemology. Peter Strawson's most famous work, it sets out to describe nothing less than the basic subject matter of our thought. It contains Strawson's now famous argument for descriptive metaphysics and his repudiation of revisionary metaphysics, in which reality is something beyond the world of appearances. Throughout, Individuals advances some highly influential and controversial ideas, such as 'non-solipsistic consciousness' and the concept of a person a 'primitive concept' |
Contents
and partial conceptual inquiry Hence also a certain difference | |
BODIES | |
Basic Particulars | |
MONADS | |
TWO CRITERIA | |
The Grammatical Criterion | |
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Common terms and phrases
analogy answer argument ascribed assertion B-expressions basic particulars characterizing universals conceptual scheme connexion consciousness criteria criterion dependent descriptive metaphysics distinguishing doctrine entails entities existence existential quantification fact framework Frege grammatical hearer idea identifiability-dependence identifying reference identifyingly identity Identity of Indiscernibles indicative mood individual instance instantiated introduce kind least Leibniz logical subject master-sound material bodies means monads non-particulars objective particulars observation one’s oneself ontology ordinary ourselves P-predicates perhaps person Peter struck philosopher philosophical scepticism phrase pitch point of view position possible predicate predicate-expression presupposed presupposition principle proposition purely auditory world quantification question reference to particulars reidentifiable particulars relative pronoun requirements seems sense sentence singular terms Socrates is wise solipsism sortal universals sound-particulars sounds spatial relations spatio-temporal speak speaker statement style of introduction subject-expression subject-predicate distinction suppose temporal term-introducing expressions things thought timbre uniquely visual word