20 Universal Terms. 



and thirdly, invent their common name. After the death of Dr. 

 Brown, Mr. Stewart pubhshed a continuation of his great work on 

 the philosophy of the human mind, on the very first page of which 

 we find that he is unconvinced by the arguments of Dr. Brown, and 

 still contends for his former opinions ; or rather takes for granted 

 that he has established them.* 



Let a class of unbiassed young persons, who are sufficiently ad- 

 vanced in the study of intellectual philosophy to understand its 

 terms, be asked, what occupies your mind when you use general 

 terms, is it ideas or mere words ? All will be puzzled ; and about 

 half will incline to one side of the argument, and half to the other. 



This question, then, has bewildered both acute and ordinary 

 minds, for more than tvi^o thousand years. Is not this a proof that 

 there is some latent fallacy contained in the question itself? It is 

 the nature of truth — of all which springs from truth — of all which 

 tends to truth, to enlighten — to clear from doubt ; but this question 

 casts doubt and darkness. May we not, therefore, conclude that it 

 springs not from truth but from error ? But where it its fallacy ? 

 Suppose you are asked, are the human race while or black ? and 

 required to answer directly in the words of the question. You can 

 not, without asserting a falsehood ; because, in order to do so, you 

 must rank under one head objects which in the respects alluded to 

 are dissimilar. So, in this celebrated question, (are ideas or words 

 the object of our thoughts, when we employ general terms?) is there 

 not a similar error ? Are there not, plainly, two sorts of universal 

 terms — the one expressing natural classes, the other artificial classifi- 

 cations? We believe there are, and that with respect to the former, 

 the doctrine of the Conceptualists is true ; with regard to the latter, 

 that of the Nominalists. 



To explain the subject more fully; — natural classes of objects are 

 those which, from a feeling of resemblance, arising as soon as they 

 are presented, every human mind from its ii>herent constitution ranks 

 together as things of the same sort. Such are sheep, trees, horses, 

 and men. Concerning these classes, we think it may clearly be 

 shown, that agreeably to the opinions of the Conceptualists, we have 

 general ideas or conceptions; and further, that respecting these, the 



* "It is," says Mr. S. "to the use of artificial signs, (as was formerly shown,) that 

 we are indebted for all our general conclusions; and without it all our knowledge 

 ivould have been entirely limited to individuals." — See Vol. Ill, p 1. 



