Thing Abstract Quote by John Stuart Mill
““The second general division of names is into concrete and abstract. A concrete name is a name which stands for a thing; an abstract name is a name which stands for an attribute of a thing.””
About This Quote
Source Book: A System of Logic, 1843
Names can refer to tangible objects or to qualities of those objects, distinguishing concrete from abstract terms.
In simple terms: Names refer to things or their qualities.
Key Takeaway
Identify whether a term is concrete or abstract.
Themes
philosophy
language
semantics
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- teaching
- writing
- analysis
- critical thinking
Key Concepts
ontology
categorization
reference
Questions to Reflect On
- How does distinguishing concrete from abstract improve communication?
- When might abstract naming be advantageous?
A Different Perspective
Abstract terms can be vague and harder to define precisely.
![“[For people] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c53/john-stuart-mill-477_doubt_for-people-to-refuse-a-hearing-to-an-opi_63929.jpg)
