Definitions HQ

The Universal (n.) things ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠are the hardest for us to know, because they are the farthest from the senses.

Universal (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠how a person of a certain type will speak or act, by probability or necessity.

The Universal (n.) indicates ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a 'such', never a 'this' — otherwise Socrates would be several animals: himself, man, and animal.

The Universal (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in many places at once — which is exactly why it cannot exist apart from its individuals.

The Universal (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not made by 'every': 'every' makes the claim universal, not the subject — 'man' is already universal before 'every' arrives.

The Universal (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠needed for knowledge, as Socrates saw — but separating it from individuals, as his successors did, is the source of every objection to the Ideas.

The Universal (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what is said of many; individual is the numerically one — and if principles were only individual, all the language in the world would be confined to a single ABC.

The Universal (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not the same as the primary: because the universal is primary, people take the primary to be universal — and so, finding the best friendship does not fit all cases, they deny the others are friendships at all.

A Universal (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠any name capable of universal application to the members of a class (animal, man, book, tree). But these universals are subjective notions, not tangibly objective realities; they are nomina (names), not res (things)