nominalism
/ˈnɑmɪnəlɪzəm/
noun
- A philosophical theory that general ideas or universal concepts are only names or labels, and do not have a real existence outside of individual objects.
- Nominalism argues that the word 'beauty' is just a label we apply to many different beautiful things.
- Many modern scientists are influenced by nominalism, believing that categories like 'species' are human-made labels.
- In medieval philosophy, nominalism challenged the idea that abstract concepts like 'justice' exist on their own.
Antonyms