Guido Imaguire

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Is Ostrich Nominalism a Dismissive Solution

to the Problem of Universals?

15 December 2017, 16:00

Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa

Sala Mattos Romão (Departamento de Filosofia)

Abstract: Ostrich Nominalism is often described as a dismissive solution to the problem of universals. This is curious because there is no agreement about what exactly is the core of this problem, and which is its adequate formulation. In this paper I will present five different formulations and argue that Ostrich Nominalism is not dismissive at all. In fact, I will propose a positive and substantial answer to each one of the formulations of the problem. However, in order to solve predicaments of the original formulation of Ostrich Nominalism it will be important to appeal to the notion of ontological grounding and its logic.