Nominalism
Nominalism is a philosophical view that argues that universals—like concepts or qualities such as "redness" or "beauty"—do not exist independently of the specific things we observe. According to nominalists, these universals are simply names or labels we use to group particular objects that share similarities, rather than existing as separate, abstract entities. For example, while we can recognize many red objects, "redness" itself is not a distinct, tangible entity; it’s just a term we use to describe a common characteristic of those objects. Thus, particulars, or individual things, are the only true realities.
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Nominalism is a philosophical viewpoint suggesting that general concepts or categories (like "justice" or "redness") don't exist independently but are merely names or labels we use to group similar individual objects or experiences. In essence, nominalists argue that universals—abstract ideas we talk about—are not real entities but rather convenient ways to communicate about the world. For example, while we can point to various red objects, the idea of "redness" itself has no separate existence outside those objects. This perspective contrasts with realism, which posits that such universals exist independently of individual instances.