Publication Details
Evolution of Concepts
Abstract
The object of investigation, expounded in this paper, is the thesis that concepts evolve. The author attempts to show that this thesis is surrounded by much confusion and is ambiguous and that consequences following from the thesis after making it more precise throw great doubt on its validity. The ambiguity of this thesis stems especially from the ambiguity of the very term „concept“, its vagueness and obscurity lies again in confusion connected with understanding of the evolution of concepts. Having explicated the terms „concept“ and „evolution of a concept“, the author examines some consequences, following from the thesis on the evolution of concepts, especially of concepts in the logical sense. In this connection he points to various difficulties and problems we come across when applying evolutionary conception of concepts to notions in the logical sense and he concludes that if we explicate „evolution of concepts“ in some of the ways he presents in section 7, it can hardly be said that these concepts evolve.