Realism and Nominalism

Realism and Nominalism are the theories which based on the study of knowledge (epistemology). Both places are attached in their move toward to the idea of universals. These two concepts were a central part of medieval philosophy and theology. Generally the period of Realism was 1200-1350 and Nominalism was dominated in the period of 1350-1500.

In the definition of Realism and Nominalism, Realism is the vision that concepts are related to but survive separately from thoughts and entity matters in our world. Realism declares the universal concept of “whiteness”. Nominalism is straight opposite to realism, because it declares the realism only survive in the realism only exact objects. Nomanalism abstracts the views in philosophy agree which common or theoretical terms and state some texts and refuses to admit that the intellect has the power of produces them. Nominalism has two versions, in that one version rejects the existence of universal and the other one is existence of abstract objects. Forms of nominalism can be established in the visions of William of Ockham, George Berkeley, and David Hume.

Plato was the first writer in western philosophy to clearly distinguish the position of nominalist. Realist supports the existence of universal but nominalist rejects their view. Nominalism was places in the form of philosophy and mathematics. Neither realism overstated nor Nominalism discovers some difficulty in found the messages between the thought and obtainable in nature as in different ways, they both assume ideal agreement between the two. The actual difficulty between the two is one supported in nature and other one is supported in thought. Dependable with Platonic and Neoplatonic positions, the realists disputes that universal terms derive their sense by position to real universals.

Debate Description:

In the period of the debate happened between Realism and Nominalism, One of the main intellectual preoccupations of medieval theologians and philosophers was the distinction between realism and nominalism, also known in the history of ideas as the “quarrel of universals.” At the beginning of the twelfth century, this debate was signified primarily by Roscelin (1045–1120), the Nominalist, and Guillaume de Champeaux (1070–1121), the realist. Aristotle supported for Nominal, so they are called as Aristotelian Nominalist who are believed only the existence of individuals.  Plato supported for the Realist so they are called as Platonist Realist, they said that the universals had inherent, considerable reality, and individuals were only accidents. Nominalism can be known as well-suited with a thorough materialism that substance which can be perceived by the five wits and correlative empiricism which only the knowledge of material thing is lawful knowledge. In nominalism, there is no universal entities exist, and through this universal terms are meaningless.

Questions:

• What is the concept of Nominalism?
• Who are the two members signified the debate?