CONCEPT & TERMS

Concrete and Abstract Concepts

• A Concrete Concept:
– Represents a substance
– A substance and its attribute
– An attribute predicated of substance

Examples:
a man a father
a tall building a just person
this apple is sweet the teacher instructs
Concrete and Abstract Concepts
• An Abstract Concept: Examples:
– represents an attribute
• fatherhood
mentally separated from
the substance in which it • tallness
actually inheres
– the universal concept of • justice
substance is abstract as far • sweetness
as it has been mentally
segregated at least from • humanity
the individuating notes of a
singular substance.
– It customary to call abstract
only attributes viewed in
separation from their
substance
 Relative and Absolute Concepts
• A Relative Concept Example:
represents at least a • identical
relation to another • equal
concept. • similar
– relative adverbs and
adjectives • different
– nouns entirely relative • as good as
– nouns relative in their • better than
specific difference • best
 Relative and Absolute Concepts
• An Absolute Concept Example:
does not represent a • Man is a rational
relation unless it
becomes part of a animal.
judgment or a member of
a division.
– there are absolute adverbs,
adjectives, and nouns
– an absolute noun concept
is defined by its own
constituent notes, without
reference to anything else
 Contradictory and Contrary
Concepts
• Contradictory Concepts Example:
are the two members of a • voter non-voter
dichotomous division;
– they are a positive and the • sentient non-sentient
corresponding negative
idea
– they denote two classes or
attributes that leave no
intermediate alternative
within the totum divided
 Contradictory and Contrary
Concepts
A Negative Concept is called negative because
its comprehension contains a note which
signifies the lack of, or opposition to, the
specific attribute to the positive (contradictory)
concept.
Occasionally, a negative concept represents all
things except the positive idea.
 Contradictory and Contrary
Concepts
Formal and Material Negatives
– a formal negative concept is expressed by a
term negative in spelling and meaning
– a material negative concept, by a term
negative in meaning only
 Contradictory and Contrary
Concepts
Privative and Non-privative Concepts
– a privative negative represents a subject
deprived of a note that belongs to its physical
integrity, or a state of such privation
– all other negatives are non-privative
 Contradictory and Contrary
Concepts
• Contrary Concepts Example:
denote two classes or • hot – cold
attributes that leave at • good - bad
least one intermediate
alternative within the
totum divided.