A Taxonomy of Ideas
I once read (probably in Philosophy of Hegel a Systematic Exposition by W. T. Stace) a description of how the idea of quantity derives from the two ideas of similarity and dissimilarity: similarity in that we cannot recognize two apples unless we see the similarity that the two objects are both apples; dissimilarity in that we must recognize the apples as non-identical to have two distinct objects.
Which suggests to my mind the idea of a taxonomy of ideas, which would show the relations between ideas.
Does such a taxonomy exist? I suspect an ontology (or maybe more than one) could be derived from such a taxonomy. Or might we begin with some ontology and derive a taxonomy?
Which suggests to my mind the idea of a taxonomy of ideas, which would show the relations between ideas.
Does such a taxonomy exist? I suspect an ontology (or maybe more than one) could be derived from such a taxonomy. Or might we begin with some ontology and derive a taxonomy?
Comments (2)
I think you might want to look into Kant's CPR and Hegel's Logic.
The local~global is the synchronic view of a natural system - the hierarchy theory view where all quantification is in terms of the reciprocal limits of local vs global scale.
Then the vague~crisp is the diachronic view - the developmental axis that describes the emergence of this basic scale distinction from out of nothing. So you start off in a pre-quality world where all is just vague. Then the breaking of that symmetry in terms of the start of a local~global distinction or counterfactuality is how you proceed towards the crispness of a fully realised scale dichotomy.
This would be the taxonomy of natural systems. It says everything starts in the simple potential of a vagueness, an ungrund, a Firstness, a raw potential, a quantum foam. And then this vagueness becomes dialectially transformed into a crisp and definite somethingness by the symmetry breaking which is a growing contrast in physically-expressed scale. You get a local and global boundary on possibility that creates the Thirdness of the concrete spectrum of actuality found inbetween.
This is the general framework into which you can then drop all the usual metaphysical-strength dichotomies like matter~form, integration~differentiation, accident~necessity, etc.