Lockes Doctrine of Abstraction Essay Example for Free

Lockes Doctrine of Abstraction Essay John Locke and George Berkeley are two famous philosophers whose work found similarities in their proximity of publication, but stark differences in their beliefs. In Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding, he argued passionately for his doctrine of abstract ideas. On the other hand, Berkeley, in his work, Principles of Human Knowledge, he made every effort to reject all of Locke’s claims. Although viciously attacked by Berkeley, Locke’s doctrine of abstraction holds true as a fundamentally sound and practical doctrine for the advancement of knowledge and communication. In Book II of Essay, Locke formulates theories on how knowledge is acquired. Previously in Essay, Locke establishes his position as an empiricist through his discussion of simple and complex ideas. According to Locke, simple ideas come into the mind either through sensation or through reflection. With regards to complex ideas, Locke argues that, although the mind is a â€Å"blank slate† until impressed upon by experience, he acknowledges the power of the mind to be multifaceted. â€Å"The acts of the mind, wherein it exerts its power over simple ideas, are chiefly these three: 1. Combining several simple ideas into one compound one, and thus all complex ideas are made. 2. The second is bringing two ideas, whether simple or complex, together, and setting them by one another so as to take a view of them at once, without uniting them into one, by which it gets all its ideas of relations. 3. The third is separating them from all other ideas that accompany them in their real existence: this is called abstraction, and thus all its general ideas are made. †(Essay 146) This being so, it is apparent that Locke believes in the mind’s ability to manipulate content as it is received. Locke entertains this notion by explaining that the mind subjects simple ideas to various processes such as combining, comparing, and abstraction. The most important of these three abilities is the mind’s ability to form abstract ideas. Further into Book III of Essay, Locke outlines his famous doctrine of abstraction, or rather, doctrine of general terms. Abstract ideas are formed by proceeding with particular ideas (which may either be simple and complex). As established earlier, abstract ideas are a result of the mind’s ability to manipulate. Locke further demonstrates this point by explaining that only particular things exist in the external world and can be determined by the senses. The formation of abstract ideas is reliant on the existence of particular ideas and is therefore derivative of them. General or abstract terms come to fruition as the result of subtracting away particular qualities such as color, height, weight, and size from an idea. however , at the same time, maintaining the general or similar qualities that allow the idea to be paired or grouped with others. Locke illustrates this point in his discussion of general terms. For example, a particular idea would be, as Locke states, Peter, James or Mary. Through the process of abstraction, one subtracts the qualities that are specific to Peter, James, or Mary, and instead retain the characteristics which are common to all three. Thus, the abstract or general term derived from the three, is human beings. (Essay 396) According to Locke the absence of the specific qualities and preservation of similarities is what makes the idea general or relatable to others. Thus forming the process of abstraction, a doctrine that is embraced by Locke, but wholeheartedly rejected by Berkeley. One aspect of George Berkeley that is safe to assume is that he was definitely not a fan of Locke, or Locke’s doctrine of abstraction. This is evident in the sheer fact that Berkeley devoted his introduction of Principles to the refutation of the doctrine of abstraction. However this raises the question: Why did Berkeley feel so strongly? Why does Berkeley feel the need to reject abstraction? The answer to these questions is two-fold. First and foremost, Berkeley sees Locke’s doctrine of abstraction as a detractor from the overall purpose of his philosophical work. â€Å"Philosophy being nothing else but the study of wisdom and truth.. a greater clearness and evidence of knowledge, and be less disturbed by with the doubts and difficulties of other men. yet so it is, we see the illiterate bulk of mankind walk the high-road of plain common sense. † (PHK intro 1) In this example Berkeley establishes himself as the â€Å"no nonsense† defender of common sense . Throughout Principles, Berkeley often mentions his disdain for simply verbal philosophical questions that are ultimately speculative and accomplish nothing. By disproving abstraction, he can avoid what he believes to be useless philosophy. Instead, Berkeley presents himself to be rooted more so in specifics and what can be known. An example of this exists in his discussion of mathematics, arithmetic and the natural sciences and abstraction. In this discussion, Berkeley argues that abstraction plays no part in these concepts. (PHK 118-122) Building on this, abstraction also threatens Berkeleys overarching theme of â€Å"esse este percepi,† Or rather â€Å"to be is to be perceived. † Throughout Principles, Berkeley essentially argues that specific qualities such as color, size, and odor cannot exist unless they are perceived. By this logic, abstract ideas, ideas born absent of perception and stripped of specific qualities, cannot adequately fit into the constraints of hisrequirement   for existence. This being so, Berkeley openly objects to and attacks Locke’s doctrine. Despite this effort, Berkeley is unable to accomplish his intended goal. In his introduction, Berkeley launches a three pronged attack against Locke’s abstractionism. Beginning with the â€Å"inability to abstract† argument, followed by the â€Å"inconsistent and confusing† and ending with â€Å"unnecessary† argument, Berkeley outlines what he believes to be a â€Å"killing blow† to Locke’s doctrine. However, his rejection of abstraction is rather weak. As stated before, Berkeley begins his rejection of abstraction by stating that the human mind is unable to abstract. He illustrates his point through a thought experiment, â€Å"I can consider the hand, the eye, the nose, each by itself abstracted or separated from the rest of the body. but then whatever hand or eye I imagine, it must have some particular shape and color I cannot by any effort of thought conceive the abstract idea above described. And it is impossible for me to form the abstract idea of motion distinct from the body moving. † (PHK intro 10) In this example, Berkeley demonstrates his attempt to form a general idea through the process of abstraction. He concludes that the human mind is unable to accomplish this as it is impossible not to attribute specific and particular qualities to an idea when abstracting it. This being so, when imaging an idea, one cannot view it in general terms, but instead can only view it particularly. This argument doesn’t really develop any strengths or weakness for or against Abstraction. If posed with the same thought experiment, Locke would surely answer that he would be able to form abstract ideas within his mind. Because Locke believes all human minds have the same capabilities, Locke would argue that because he is able to form abstract ideas, Berkeley must also be able to do so, thus rendering the point moot. Berkeley moves on from the psychological inability to form abstract thoughts and onto the argument that the abstraction is inconsistent and therefore inadequate as a doctrine. Holding back no punches, Berkeley directly quotes Locke in his introduction to Principles. â€Å". . does it not require some pains and skill to form the general idea of a triangle . . . for it must be neither oblique, nor rectangle, neither equilateral, equicrural, no scalenon, but all and none of these at once. †(Essay 596) Berkeley is quick to respond to this statement. â€Å"In effect, it is something imperfect that cannot exist, an idea wherein some parts of several different and inconsistent ideas are put together. † (PHK intro 13) In this example, Berkeley criticizes Locke’s doctrine as not only being impossible to achieve, but also inconsistent. In his reading of Locke, Berkeley states that Lockes’ description of the abstraction process as encompassing â€Å"all and none. † Berkeley outlines the contradiction that object or idea cannot posses both all and none of the same qualities. Because there exists a contradiction within Lockes argument, Berkeley asserts, that the doctrine of abstraction is flawed and therefore impossible. However, it is in this example it becomes apparent that Berkeley mis-interprets Locke’s doctrine. Perhaps in angst to defeat abstraction, Berkeley gets tripped up on Locke’s wording. Abstraction only deals with the subtraction of the differences, but keeps the commonalities between ideas. In fact, it appears that Berkeley is the more inconsistent of the two as he accurately describes Locke’s true position on abstraction earlier in the intro, yet discounts it later on. (PHK intro 9). The third and final argument against abstraction Berkeley outlines is the questioning of the necessity for abstraction. Berkeley argues, â€Å"from all which the natural consequence should seem to be, that so difficult a thing as the as the forming abstract ideas was not necessary for communication, which is so easy and familiar to all sorts of men. But we are told, if they seem obvious and easy to grown men. it is only because by constant and familiar use they are made so. † (PHK intro 14) In this example, Berkeley states that general are utterly useless because they fail to appropriately define an idea. Instead, generalizations are adopted because they’re easy and familiar, not because they are useful. Furthermore, according to Locke, the meaning of a general term is an abstract idea. Berkeley refutes this notion and explains that a general term denotes a range of particular ideas. As a result, Berkeley explains that abstraction is not only useless, but also confusing. Again, Berkeley refers to triangles in his description. â€Å"How can we know any proposition to be true of all particular triangles, except we have first seen it demonstrated of the abstract idea of a triangle which equally agrees to all? For, because a property may be demonstrated to agree to some one particular triangle, it will not thence follow that it equally belongs to any other triangle. † (PHK intro 16) In this example, Berkeley demonstrates that abstracted general terms lead to confusion. The abstract term for a triangle cannot adequately encompass the idea of a triangle because it can be attributed to a wide range of triangles. (Right, obtuse, acute etc. ) By using abstraction, Berkeley argues, one could be referring to a range of particular ideas without properly defining one. Simply using the general term â€Å"triangle† does not appropriately account for a triangle because it is impossible tou nderstand exactly what triangle is being talked about. Because of this, Berkeley argues, the lack of specificity in abstract terms allows for confusion which hinders human development of knowledge. While Berkeley has his moments, ultimately, Locke appears to be the more philosophically sound of the two. This is mainly because of the the application of the doctrine of abstraction and its ability to enhance human knowledge and communication. In Book III Locke notes the importance of abstract general ideas to knowledge. He explains that abstract ideas and classification are of central importance to a common understanding and communication of language. â€Å"Words ultimately derived from such as signify sensible ideas. It may also lead us a little towards the original notions how great a dependence our words have on common sensible ideas. † (Essay 388) In this example, Locke explains the purpose of abstraction. With the ability to attach commonly held and general terms to ideas, people are able better communicate ideas to each other because they hold a common understanding. For example if one attempted to explain the qualities of a cat, imagine how tedious it would be under Berkeley’s system of particulars for one to explain every perceivable quality of a cat. In Lockes system, however, ideas can be abstracted and it is commonly known that cats are felines, walk on 4 legs, and are mammals. When someone uses the general term â€Å"cat† others are able to recognize the term and know what is being discussed without further and unnecessary explanation. The ability to make this classification helps the growth of knowledge because it allows all to hold a commonly known concept. Qualities of size, color, etc are irrelevant. General terms attach an efficiency, and the ability for all to understand.

Allergy :: essays research papers

Allergies are especially unique in the medical field because they differ among patients. An allergy is a specific immunologic reaction to a normally harmless substance, one that does not bother most people. People with allergies are often sensitive to many substances. Common allergens that cause allergic reactions include seasonal, outdoor allergens like tree, grass, and weed pollen, and year-round indoor allergens including dust particles, animal dander, and indoor mold. Most people usually can be cured by various treatments. Many people are curious why they are allergic and others are not. The answer to this is that allergies are genetic in almost all cases. Scientists and researchers believe that people inherit a tendency to be allergic, although not to any specific allergen. Children are much more likely to develop allergies if their parents have allergies. Interestingly, people with year-round (perennial) allergies commonly develop the problem as adults, and are more likely to be women than men. Symptoms can lessen as you get older, but they rarely completely disappear without treatment. Patients who usually have allergies suffer from many symptoms due to the allergic reaction(s). Normally, your immune system protects you against invading agents such as bacteria and viruses. Otherwise harmless allergens (allergy-producing substances) cause your body to react as if they were dangerous invaders. In effect, your immune system is responding to a false alarm. Some of the common allergens that disrupt the immune system are animal dander, molds, and dust mites. When you first come into contact with these allergens, your immune system treats the allergen as an invader and mobilizes an attack. The immune system does this by generating large amounts of a type of antibody (a disease-fighting protein) specific to the particular allergen you're allergic to. In the case of pollen allergy, the antibody is specific for each type of pollen: one antibody may be produced to react against oak pollen and another against ragweed pollen. This antibody attaches itself to certain cells in your body. The next time you come into contact with the allergen, the allergen attaches to the antibody like a key fitting into a lock, causing the release of powerful inflammatory chemicals, including histamine. These chemicals move into various parts of your body, such as your respiratory system, to cause allergy symptoms including runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing, am ong others. Patients who suffer from allergies usually have some serious disadvantages. Allergy patients usually have trouble sleeping, breathing, and sometimes even eating or drinking depending on the allergy.

Legal and regulatory environment that influenced the Internet Essay

The internet is a dynamic field which is a product of several influences, which at times are contradictory. The constitutions of several countries were created before the advent of the internet, the need to create and amend laws and regulations governing the internet have influenced the internet. However, two major issues that have been of legal and regulatory contention are privacy and security; this is because privacy seems to be conversely related with security. The internet has made it possible for detailed personal information to be easily availed and shared, this has however infringed on the personal rights of privacy, according to Frackman, et al. (2002), several acts such as Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act have influenced immensely the internet since firms have to comply with the provisions of the Acts on all the personal information they collect ,and the personal information availed as content in the internet, since availing much information infringes of personal rights . However the issues of electronic commerce, cyber crime, network and state security, intellectual property rights, consumer rights and exchange of credit information have called for sharing of more information on the internet. Laws and regulations, such as Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010, have called for extensive sharing of personal information on the internet, due to security concerns which in essence contradicts the objective of privacy. The privacy and security legal and regulatory environment have therefore greatly influenced the Internet. Explain how Dell initially used software and the Internet to increase sales and yield cost savings Dell is an international company offering computing services and products. Facing increasing costs in product distribution, the company founded the Integrated Dell Desktop (IDD); this offers simple desktop functionality to sales representatives, who are connected together via the internet. The system offers the clients the possibility of ordering bespoke systems directly from hence eliminating the middle men, therefore saving costs; this has been made possible by the company’s website dell. com and call centres. Dell was able to increase sales due to increased customer satisfaction, as a result of customers having the product of their selection. IDD also saved costs for dell, and improved profit for the company as well as offering competitive strategic advantage since the sales personnel were empowered to get any relevant information , since all the back end systems were integrated. In addition, the company was also to save on personnel costs, costs on offering training to the sales representatives were reduced as well as customers being able to get all the relevant information concerning the products from the website. Moreover, storage costs were reduced since the machines were produced depending on the customers’ customization and shipped to customer. IDD and the internet have therefore contributed to reducing costs and increasing sales at Dell.

Tanglewood Case 2 - 1018 Words

Staffing Report One Table of Contents 1. Forecast of Labor 2. Markov Analysis Information 3. Demographic Categories 4. Promotion Practices 5. Organizational Memo Forecast of Labor: MGT Consulting gathered information from the previous year (2010) and used a Markov analysis to generate a plan of action for the employment needs for Tanglewood in 2011. The Washington market is very stable for Tanglewood and we decided that the current workforce will be sufficient for the 2011 forecast. There are 10750 current employees in the Tanglewood stores in this region. The corporate structure within Tanglewood is well known for its advancements of employees throughout the chain of command, so MGT Consulting feels that it is safe to†¦show more content†¦With this being an example then I would suggest that Tanglewood maybe initiate some kind of incentive for these females to apply for jobs within the organization and move up the ladder which is a well known fact that Tanglewood’s core value is a standing relationship amongst its employees. Promotion Practices Tanglewood is built on hard work and honesty, One of Tanglewood’s core values is to have an open floor when it comes to ideas within the organization. These new ideas are what drive the company to be as successful as they are today. If you were to change this structure you would be killing their corporate structure. Hard work and the ideas is the key to employees moving up the chain of command. Hiring new graduates is another way to bring in new ideas to a company but it has to be the correct job/ personality match for it to work. This is true with bringing in a manger with experience into the company as well. If the core values of the company are different of that of the new hires then your making a bigger issue within the organization. I would suggest that when making these promotion or new hire decisions that they would first look from within the company and when all else fails then look for that great fit from the outside workforce. Organizational Memo: When hiring and promoting here at Tanglewood we want to give everyone the greatest chance of advancement as possible. We want to be a company known for hard and honest workers.Show MoreRelatedTanglewood Case 21334 Words   |  6 PagesChristian April 6, 2014 Wk 2 Dropbox Assignment TangleWood Case 2 Currently the organization expects that their forecast for labor requirements is essentially constant from the previous year. Based on this assumption complete the five stages of the planning process: Currently the organization expects that their forecast for labor requirements is essentially constant from the previous year. This means the forecast for next year will be taken as given. Fill in the empty cells in the forecastRead MoreTanglewood Case 21193 Words   |  5 Pages Christian April 6, 2014 Wk 2 Dropbox Assignment TangleWood Case 2 Currently the organization expects that their forecast for labor requirements is essentially constant from the previous year. Based on this assumption complete the five stages of the planning process: Currently the organization expects that their forecast for labor requirements is essentially constant from the previous year. This means the forecast for next year will be taken as given. Fill in the empty cells in the forecastRead MoreEssay on Tanglewood Case 21373 Words   |  6 PagesCase 2 Specific Assignment Details For the store manager group, you will analyze the information and prepare a report showing the results of the Markov analysis and the EEO investigation. The Director asked you to address these questions in your written report: 1. Currently the organization expects that their forecast for labor requirements is essentially constant from the previous year. Based on this assumption complete the five stages of the planning process: a. Currently theRead MoreTanglewood Case 21337 Words   |  6 Pagesrequiring long hours of work, including weekends and holidays, with little compensation. It is difficult to hire individuals that are willing to start in an entry-level position and work their way up over the years into managerial positions. Tanglewood prefers to promote from within, allowing the managerial employees to grow with the company, already experienced with the social and cultural environment. This limits the ability to hire an individual directly into a managerial position, but increasesRead MoreTanglewood Case 2: Planning1070 Words   |  5 PagesTanglewood Case 2: Planning To: Dr. Grace From: Tanisha Yorrick Date: 9/16/2015 Subject: Tanglewood Planning Introduction Tanglewood is trying to conduct a hiring plan for its upcoming year. They need to meet certain numbers and plan for expected shortages and surpluses. They are seeking assistance in identifying the trends in their labor market, filling vacant positions, reducing turn overs and updating their affirmative action plan. Key Points This section contains the key issuesRead MoreTanglewood Stores - Case 22229 Words   |  9 PagesTanglewood stores Case two Conduct an analysis of Tanglewood’s staffing data and determine if their current staffing practices are sufficient to meet their ongoing needs, or if there will be problems in adequately staffing the organization in the near future. Recommend how Tanglewood should design its overall staffing mission and strategy based on their upcoming needs. Calculate representation statistics for various jobs within a single Tanglewood department store to determine where the most criticalRead MoreTanglewood Case #11668 Words   |  7 PagesDana Tripp Tanglewood Stores - Case One – Week 2 HR594 Strategic Staffing, January 2011 Keller Graduate School of Management Professor Sheri Bias January 3, 2011 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY To: Donald Penchiala, Director of Staffing Services Marilyn Anchley, Vice President of Human Resources RE: Tanglewood Retail Store – Case #1 Date: January 3, 2010 In this report will be doing a Strategic Staffing Analysis that will focus on the key requirements about acquisition, deployment, andRead MoreTanglewood Case Study1431 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Tanglewood Case Study #1 Nellie J. Harris HRM594-Strategic Staffing Mr. Perrone, I am responding to your request to review Tanglewood’s staffing decisions currently in place. After reviewing Tanglewood’s 39 year history as well as current and potential competitors, I have reviewed the 13 sections per your request. Each recommendation is based on Tanglewood’s mission and values. Tanglewood is a 39 year old company looking to expand its’ organization while still maintaining its’Read MoreTanglewood Case Two1215 Words   |  5 PagesTanglewood Case 2 Strategic Staffing (HR 594) Summer Session B comronf@gmail.com TANGLEWOOD CASE TWO ATT: Daryl Perrone After analyzing the data and performing an environmental scan it is clear that the demographics of Spokane, Washington will present you will problems filling vacancies based on the Equal Employment Opportunity requirements. Spokane is the second largest city in Washington and according to my research 84% of these people are white. The next largest minority group, HispanicRead MoreTanglewood Case 3 - Recruiting Mehtods Essay1447 Words   |  6 PagesRecruiting Like many retailers, Tanglewood experiences a stable rate of turnover, and thus recruiting efforts remain high. The methods used by Tanglewood vary from many regions in which they serve, and by gauging these methods we are able to optimize and perhaps unify company operations. By reviewing the recruiting methods used by Tanglewood, we will be able to devise a guide that can be functional along with Tanglewood developing recruiting services which reflect Tanglewood’s unique personality