Metaphysics Videos

In this video I survey the problem of universals in philosophy and review the various solutions that have been proposed to it. Since the problem of universals is a foundational issue in philosophy, the response that one makes to it is foundational to one's worldview. In general, one can either be some kind of a realist or some kind of a nominalist. I eventually come to a realist postion similar to Peter Abelard's. Universals are not common instantiations of being, but rather states-of-affairs that can be predicated univocally of two or more beings. Nominalism is unsatisfactory and self-contradictory, although it raises important points that must be addressed. I am indebted to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for its detailed articles on this subject, for the opening graphic and demonstration which I paraphrased here and for several quotes from Abelard. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/universals-medieval/

The Third Age Continues! After meeting a strange woman, Christopher Zinone finds the life he knew falling further and further away. Meanwhile, new employee Mark gets a taste of life at Woolf Pharmaceutical. The Third Age is produced by Respect Films, the team behind the forthcoming documentary, Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods. New episodes will be posted weekly, every Tuesday, right here on Blip.TV. See Episode One Here Visit www.thethirdagebegins.com for more information. Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter