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Viewpoints on Concepts
V1
Module 1
The Philosophical Problem of Concepts
1
The Problem of Universals: What Makes Things the Same Kind?
Explain the problem of universals using concrete examples: what makes multiple particular things instances of the same kind (e.g., 'redness', 'chair')?
2
Solving the Problem of Universals: Realism, Nominalism, and Conceptualism
Distinguish realism, nominalism, and conceptualism as the primary philosophical solutions to the problem of universals.
Module 2
Two Competing Theories of Concepts
3
Classical Theory of Concepts
Describe the classical theory of concepts using Aristotle's method of definition by genus and differentia.
4
Ayn Rand and Measurement Omission
Explain Ayn Rand's theory of 'measurement omission' as a modern formulation of the classical, essentialist view.
5
Wittgenstein's Family Resemblance
Reconstruct Wittgenstein's 'family resemblance' argument against the classical theory.
6
Realism vs. Conventionalism: A Metaphysical Debate
Articulate the core metaphysical disagreement between the classical view (realism) and the family resemblance view (conventionalism).
Module 3
Evidence from Psychology and Technology
7
Rosch's Prototype Theory: Graded Membership & Typicality
Describe Rosch's prototype theory as empirical evidence for graded membership and typicality effects in human categorization.
8
Prototypes, Family Resemblance, and ML Concepts
Relate prototype theory and family resemblance to concepts in machine learning, such as cluster centroids and vector space embeddings (e.g., word2vec).
9
Natural vs. Social Kinds: Why it Matters
Distinguish natural kinds (e.g., 'water') from social or functional kinds (e.g., 'game') and explain why this distinction is critical to the debate.
Module 4
Synthesis and Evaluation
10
Reconciling Classical and Family Resemblance Theories of Kinds
Evaluate whether the two views can be reconciled by applying classical theory to natural kinds and family resemblance to social/functional kinds.
11
Deconstructing Fuzzy Concepts: Irreducible vs. Decomposable
Assess whether 'fuzzy' concepts are irreducibly fuzzy or are always decomposable into combinations of precise concepts, formulating your own position.