Nominalistit

Nominalistit are adherents of nominalism, a family of philosophical theories about universals and abstract entities. In the history of Western philosophy, nominalism stands in opposition to realism: while realists maintain that universal terms denote real, independently existing entities, nominalists hold that universals do not have independent existence beyond the mind or language.

The central claim of nominalism is that general terms such as "cat," "beauty," or "excellence" are merely names or linguistic signs for sets of particular things or for mental concepts used to group similar items. According to this view, only particular objects exist; universals are nothing more than convenient predicates, classifications, or mental abstractions without independent being. This perspective emphasizes semantic economy and ontological parsimony, arguing that positing universals as real causes additional ontological commitments without necessary explanatory benefits.

Historically, early forms of nominalism are usually associated with Roscelin of Compiègne (12th century) and were later developed and systematized by William of Ockham in the 14th century. Ockham’s program treated many universals as mere signs of resemblance or as mental concepts, rather than as real entities. Later medieval thinkers offered variations, including what some call conceptualism (a middle ground that locates universals in the mind rather than in things) and more strengthened nominalist positions that influenced the development of modern philosophy.

Influence of nominalism extends into the philosophy of language, logic, and science, where it has shaped debates about how terms refer, how classifications are formed, and whether abstract objects are legitimate objects of inquiry. In contemporary discussions, nominalist themes appear in debates on abstract objects, truth-makers, and constructivist or fictionalist approaches to universals.