A Short Means of Understanding the Concept of Plato’s ‘Universals and Particulars’ Theory
The concept of Universals and Particulars is derived from Plato’s Theory of Forms, which claims that our perception of reality lies beyond our comprehension and that of space and time itself. Plato presents his theory of Forms to elaborate as to how multiple things that share a property can be one and the same (for instance, how can two objects — say, my red notebook and my red car, two very distinct things — be the same by merely sharing the same color?). Plato would have believed that these two things — or any multiple distinct things that share a quality — are the same when they are ‘related’ to the same ‘Form’.
But what are these ‘Universals’ and ‘Particulars’ in which I refer to? How do they differ? What does it mean for multiple objects or things to be ‘related’ to one another? Plato’s Theory of Forms involves philosophical questioning regarding what these Forms are and how we can define them. There are many dilemmas and debates surrounding this theory that has been prevalent for centuries amongst philosophers, with Plato’s pupil himself — Aristotle — disputing some of Plato’s theories regarding the Forms. The biggest aspect of this ongoing debate is whether or not Universals actually exist, and if so, what form they take. In order to make an attempt at settling such debate — or rather to contribute to the overall ongoing discussion — we must be able to define and elaborate on the concept of Universals (the modern-day term for Forms) and Particulars.
First, we shall begin by defining the concept of ‘Particulars’ and their nature. A Particular is somewhat of a specific physical object or entity in which we can observe with our senses (such as touch, hearing, or smell). Think of a particular pink strawberry-scented wax cube, for instance. This particular object would contain a multitude of different ‘qualities’ or ‘properties’ — such as its color being pink, its shape being cubic, and its scent resembling that of a strawberry. Particulars can only be observed in one place at one specific time, and some Particulars may or may not even be considered to be real depending on each person. These properties, unlike the Particulars which contain them, can be observed in multiple places at once — the scented cubic wax in front of you, the cubic shaped computer monitor in the office area of your home, the pink bedding in your bedroom, and so forth. It is the shape and color themselves that are seen in multiple areas at once, not the particular item of your inquiry.
Particulars can also have a ‘relation’ to other Particulars. Say that we now have a white vanilla-scented wax cube along with the strawberry-scented one. While they are both individual objects and differ in the way in which they smell and what color they are, they still share a property: they are both still cubic in shape. This similarity that they both share — their shape — is called a ‘Universal’ or a ‘Form’. These two wax cubes ‘partake’ in the Form of being cubic in shape. Plato’s view regarding the Form is that the Forms are the ultimate realities of the world. Forms do not reside in people’s minds, nor are they existent in the world of space and time. Rather, these Forms are called ‘abstract entities’ by philosophers as they do not exist within space and time. The Forms can be encountered only by reason and not that of experience.
