Classifications of Ideas (Autosaved)

CLASSIFICATIONS OF
IDEAS
Rone David Camarista
Danny Dy Quioyo
A. According to Comprehension
1. Simple – when it expresses only one conceptual note.
examples:
a. Truth - conformity between the mind and the thing.
b. Being - an existential thing.
c. False - non-conformity between the intellect and the thing
2. Compound – when it expresses more than one conceptual note.

examples:
a. Man – Rational animal, Human being, Person
b. God – Omnipotent, Alpha and Omega, Infinite, Uncaused cause, Intelligent Designer
3. Concrete – when it expresses something which has external attributes or capable of being
perceived through the senses.
examples:
a. computer b. books c. table d. ballpen
4. Abstract – in order to have an idea of the following examples we derive knowledge of them from
something concrete.
examples:
a. fear b. happiness c. poverty d. sorrow
B. According to Extension
1. Singular – when it represents a single object only. It can be proper names of persons and places. The
use of demonstrative pronouns like this or that, superlative, possessive pronoun also indicate the singularity of
an idea.
examples:
That chair is mine. The most beautiful girl is found in this class.
2. Universal – when it represents not only a class as a whole but also each member of the class. It is an
Idea that extend or applies to all the members of given group. Example: Man is a thinking being. Man, in the
example, is applicable to all men.
Universal quantifiers are the following: all, each, every, whatever, none, no one, any.
examples:
All teachers will come to celebrate the Anniversary Celebration of the school.
Children grow.
3. Particular – when it represents only a part of the universal whether it is definite or indefinite. It is an
idea that extends or applies to each of some indefinitely designated part of the universal idea.
- the particularity of an idea lies on the fact that the given subject is determined in relation
to the predicate.
Example: A man is walking. Man, in the example, is particular because not all men are
walking.
Particular quantifiers include: some, many, few, several, most, not all.
4. Collective – when it represents a number of things consisting a unit-group or whole.

examples: Family, choir, team, battalion
C. According to Origin
1. Immediate – is formed from the direct perception of things. Immediate knowledge is attained through
direct perception.
examples: books, pen, paper
2. Mediate – is formed through the mediation of other ideas. To be able to grasp an idea, the use of
other concept is advised.
examples: God, soul, intelligence
D. According to Relation
1. Compatible – are ideas that can co-exist in a subject. The following characteristics can be found in a subject at the same
time.
examples:
a. Tall and Dark
b. Dedicated and Honest
2. Incompatible – are ideas that cannot co-exist in a subject. Either one is true but cannot be both true.
There are four kinds of incompatible ideas.
FOUR KINDS OF INCOMPATIBLE IDEAS
a. Contradictory – they are mutually exclusive such that the affirmation of one is the denial of the other.
In between them there is no middle possibility. A person cannot be present and not present at the same
time.
examples: Perpetualite – non-perpetualite Literate – Illiterate Devoted – non-devoted
b. Contrary – they express both extreme but belonging to the same class. Opposite ideas that allow
other possible classifications in their genus or class. Example, in the class of color. Black and White are
contrary ideas.
examples: Rich – Poor Fast – Slow Dark – Light
c. Privative – are two opposed ideas, one of which expresses certain degree of perfection while the other is the absence of it,
or doesn’t have which he must have possessed.
examples: sight – blindness walk – lame knowledge – ignorance
d. Correlative – two opposed ideas yet bear mutual relation to one another such that one cannot be understood without the
other.
examples: master – slave teacher – student whole – part parents - children
E. According to Meaning
1. Univocal – a term that carries only one meaning.
examples: Man – (a term “man” carries only one meaning), Student , Teacher
2. Equivocal – the term carries different meaning.

a. in meaning –
example: Bark – sound of a dog; part of a tree.
b. in spelling –
example: Sweet and Suite
3. Analogous – term that carries the meaning in some ways different and in some ways the same.
example:
The word “head” carries the same meaning (i.e. meaning with authority) but different in usage.
Head of the family and Head of a man.

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CLASSIFICATIONS OF

c. False - non-conformity between the intellect and the thing

2. Compound – when it expresses more than one conceptual note.

4. Collective – when it represents a number of things consisting a unit-group or whole.

2. Equivocal – the term carries different meaning.

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