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    Department of Philosophy: David Friedell, Union College

    When:
    Thursday, April 7, 2022
    4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
    Where:
    Watson Hall
    Room: Room 517
    Find on Campus Map
    Description:

    Are People Abstract?

    David Friedell, Union College

    Thursday, April 7, 2022

    4:00-6:00 pm

    Watson Hall, Room 517 

    µþ±ð²¹³¦³ó’s&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Gaelic Symphony, the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the number Ï€ are abstract objects. They are non-physical and not located in space. Tables, cars, and planets are concrete. Could it be that people are abstract, as opposed to concrete? Are we more like Gaelic Symphony than a table? Are we more like software than hardware? 

    I think the answer, probably, is: no—obviously, we are not abstract. But I’m less confident than I used to be. I will discuss some theoretical (and practical!) advantages of the view that people are abstract. And I will defend the view against some serious objections, most importantly an objection that relies on the claim that people, but not abstract objects, think.

    Contact:
    Sheena Wilkinson
    sheena.wilkinson@queensu.ca
    Cost:
    free
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