Blackwell Reference Online

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L ogic, epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language A general notion or idea that may apply to a multiplicity of things and that is expressed by general words. It is the simplest content of our thinking. Concepts are contrasted to proper names , which refer only to one individual thing. Individuals fall under concepts, and we talk about individuals in terms of concepts. Concepts themselves admit a degree of generality. A genus concept is wider in extension than a species concept.A concept is a component of propositions . It mediates between the mind and physical reality, and is a psychological entity with a non-psychological content. Hence it belongs to what Frege called the third realm. A central concern for analytical philosophy is to classify our most fundamental concepts by analyzing their contents and their logical relations with other concepts. Philosophy is concerned with analyzing concepts such as truth, meaning, person, mind, body, justice, goodness, object, cause, matter, motion, space, time, beauty, and their logical relations. Such concepts have wide applications and are crucial in expressing and understanding. Often, their analysis takes place within the context of sophisticated theories using many basic concepts rather than in isolation. Concepts themselves do not admit of truth or falsity, but the propositions of which concepts are components ... log in or subscribe to read full text