24 Universal Terms. 



black. If this question should be put to an Icelander, he would say 

 they were white, to an African, he would declare them to be black. 

 Those who had seen both would answer the question generally as their 

 attention has been most drawn to examples of the one class or the 

 other. So when the inquirer into the intellectual philosophy has 

 searched his own mind to find whether general terms call up images, 

 or whether his attention has been given to words as to algebraic 

 signs, he has been led either to the doctrine of the conceptualists or to 

 that of the nominalists as he has stated to himself examples of natu- 

 ral classes or artificial classifications. Let him propose to himself 

 such examples as men, horses, apples, roses, and he will be a con- 

 ceptualist ; but let him consider such words as things, subjects, facts, 

 &c. and he will be a nominalist. 



That some distinction of the subject ought therefore to be made, 

 appears clear : the absolute terminations to be given to the distinc- 

 tions made, are not equally so. In the question concerning the color 

 of our race, none would say we should not make any distinction 

 of color, because there are some of an intermediate hue partaking 

 of both black and white, so in this question, examples may be given 

 of classes of which it is difficult to say whether they should be call- 

 ed natural or artificial, because they partake of the nature of both. 

 And where do we undertake to divide and distinguish even in the 

 natural world, without meeting similar difficulties ; much more must 

 we expect them in the finer and more subtle fields of intellect. 



It would not injure the argument, if it should be found that in the 

 series commencing with the plainest natural classes, and going on to 

 the most abstruse artificial classifications, there were reasons for di- 

 viding general terms, into more than two sorts. No other division is 

 needed for the solution of the problem* we have been discussing, al- 

 though for other purposes, it may be proper to take notice of other 



* Since this article was put in type, the writer has had the satisfaction to find the 

 following passage in Sir James Mackintosh's history of Ethics, p. 45. — " The contro- 

 versy between the Nominalists and Realists, treated by some modern writers as an 

 example of barbarous wrangling, was in truth an anticipation of that modern dispute 

 which still divides metaphysicians, whether the human mind can form general ideas, 

 and whether the words which are supposed to convey such ideas, be not general 

 terms, representing only a number of particular perceptions? questions so far from 

 frivolous, that they deeply concern both the nature of reasoning and the structure 

 of language." From this passage, I find that my opinion is sustained, in three points,, 

 by that of this celebrated writer; first, that this controversy remains now where it 

 did centuries ago; secondly, as to its importance, and thirdly, as to the reasons of its 

 importance. 



