Superphysics
Abstract Ideas and Generalizations Come From the Mind Connecting Ideas Readily
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Table of contents
Abstract Ideas and Generalizations Arise from the Tendency of Mind to Connect Ideas Readily
Proposition 2: The creation of ideas beyond their nature comes from our collecting all their possible qualities and quantities in such an imperfect manner for the purposes of life.
When we find a resemblance* [Footnote 2] among several objects that often occur to us, we apply the same name to all of them, whatever:
- differences we may observe in their quantity and quality, and
- other differences may appear among them.
Superphysics Note
Footnote 2
Even different simple ideas may be similar to each other.
It does not matter that they are more similar than they are different. Blue and green are different simple ideas.
But they are more similar than blue and red, even if they cannot be separated in their perfectly simple form as colors. It is the same case with particular sounds, tastes, and smells. These admit of infinite resemblances when compared generally.
This is certain even from the very abstract term ‘simple idea’. ‘Simple idea’ comprehends all simple ideas.
These simple ideas resemble each other in their simplicity. Yet from their very nature, this simplicity is not separable from the other simple ideas.
It is the same case with all the degrees in any quality. They are all similar.
Yet the quality in any individual, is not distinct from the degree. But the same word is also frequently applied to other individuals that are different from that idea immediately present to the mind.
After we have acquired this habit, the hearing of that name:
- revives the idea of one of these objects, and
- makes the imagination conceive it with all its particular circumstances and proportions.
That word is unable to revive the idea of all these individuals, but only touches the soul and revives that acquired habit. They are only present in power to the mind, and not in fact nor in reality. We do not draw them all out distinctly in the imagination.
Instead, we keep ourselves ready to survey any of them, depending on our need. That word raises up an individual idea, along with a certain habit. That habit produces any other individual habit that we need.
But the production of all the ideas, to which the name may be applied, is impossible in most cases. We shorten that task by a more partial consideration. We then find only a few inconveniences in our reasoning from that abridgment.
This is one of the most extraordinary circumstances: after the mind has produced an individual idea, a habit is revived by the general or abstract name of that idea.
This habit readily suggests any other individual idea if by chance we do not agree with first individual idea. For example, if we mention ’triangle’, we often create the idea of an equilateral triangle. We then assert that its three angles are equal to each other.
However, this thinking of angles makes us realize that not all triangles are equilateral. We then think about scalene and isosceles triangles and make us perceive the falsehood of our first idea.
Hasty Generalizations Lead to False Reasoning and Sophistry
Some imperfection in the mind’s faculties prevent the mind from suggesting those subsequent ideas.
This imperfection is often the source of false reasoning and sophistry. This is principally the case with abstruse and compounded ideas.
On other occasions:
- the habit is more entire, and
- we seldom run into such errors.
The custom is so entire that the very same idea may be:
- annexed to different words, and
- employed in different reasonings without any danger of mistake.
For example, the idea of an equilateral triangle with a perpendicular inch serves us in talking about:
- a shape,
- a rectilinear shape,
- a regular shape
- a triangle, and
- an equilateral triangle.
In this case, all these terms are attended with the same idea.
But as these terms are applied to an awareness of ideas, they:
- excite their particular habits, and
- keep the mind watchful that no contrary idea is created.
Before those habits have become perfect, the mind might not be content with creating only one individual idea.
It may run over several ideas in order to make itself understand:
- its own meaning, and
- our awareness of that collection of ideas, which it intends to express by the general term.
