The Concept of Universal with Special Reference to Russell: A Brief Exposition

Abstract

There is a rising propensity to dismiss the universal problem as purely linguistic and unimportant from a philosophical standpoint. Before delving further into this issue, it may be prudent to ask ourselves whether there is even a flimsy basis for acknowledging that there are universals at all. Understanding universals is important because without them, thinking would seem to be impossible. Because concepts are the foundation of thought and generality is implied by concepts. Without universals, remembering every specific event we have throughout our lives would be incredibly challenging, if not impossible. If such a thing is ever possible, we will have to use a specific proper name for each specific, which would require the use of numerous proper names and their retention in memory. However, it is virtually difficult to do this. In this essay, I have critically examined the idea of universal with a focus on Russell.