Concept
Particular
Overview
In metaphysics, particulars or individuals are usually contrasted with universals. Universals concern features that can be exemplified by various different particulars.
Particulars are often seen as concrete, spatiotemporal entities as opposed to abstract entities, such as properties or numbers. There are, however, theories of abstract particulars or tropes. For example, Socrates is a particular (there's only one Socrates-the-teacher-of-Plato and one cannot make copies of him, e.g., by cloning him, without introducing new, distinct particulars). Redness, by contrast, is not a particular, because it is abstract and multiply instantiated (for example a bicycle, an apple, and a particular woman's hair can all be red).
In the nominalist view, everything is particular. A universal at each moment in time, from the point of view of an observer, is a set of particulars.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
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When we examine common words, we find that, broadly speaking, proper names stand for particulars, while other substantives, adjectives, prepositions, and verbs stand for universals. Pronouns stand for particulars, but are ambiguous: it is only by the context or the circumstances that we know what particulars they stand for. The word 'now' stands for a particular, namely the present moment; but like pronouns, it…
Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy
Names Particular several times; opens on Particular.
The physical classification of particulars collects together all those that are aspects of one "thing." Given any one particular, it is found often (we do not say always) that there are a number of other particulars differing from this one in gradually increasing degrees. Those (or some of those) that differ from it only very slightly will be found to differ approximately according to certain laws which may be…
Bertrand Russell, The Analysis of Mind
Names Particular several times; opens on Particular.
The particular is--for example--what Alcibiades did or suffered. In Comedy this is already apparent: for here the poet first constructs the plot on the lines of probability, and then inserts characteristic names;--unlike the lampooners who write about particular individuals.
Aristotle, The Poetics of Aristotle
States what Particular is; names Particular several times.
Philosophers who discussed Particular
Related ideas
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Aesthetics.