Boethius's Attempt to Solve the Problem of Universals

A. Universals as real(ity)
1. Everything real is one (in number).
2. If the species 'man' or genus 'animal' were a reality,
it would be one single reality.
3. 'Man' and 'animal' are common to many and one at the
same time.
4. 'Man' is common to many individual men. Animal is
common to many species.
5. Commonality:
a. exists in each individual possesses genus entirely i.e.
each man is wholly man.
b. exists in each species possesses the genus entirely i.e.
each species of animal is entirely animal
c. universal is not common to many by parts as though
each possessed only a part of the genus or species.
d. universal is not common like:
1) servant or horse used by many of different times
2) theater to all who attend
6. Genus and species constitute the very substance of the things
to which they are common.
THEREFORE
Since by definition a universal is common to many,
it cannot be one, hence it cannot be real.

B. Universals As conceptions
1. Concepts either correspond to reality or do not.
2. Concepts cannot correspond to reality because of A. above.
3. Concepts as not corresponding to reality is equally rejected because
a. if no reality corresponds to concept it doesn?t represent
reality as it is
THEREFORE
b. concept is false
THEREFORE
4. Neither concepts and
THEREFORE
5. nor are realities universals.

Part II. From the above dilemma, Boethius creates an answer by turning to:
A. Alexander of Aphrodisias; (c. 200 A.D....)
1. True thoughts needn?t represent things as they are in reality
2. True concept can be formed apart from a body
3. Falsity arises when what is combined in the mind is not what
is combined in reality. i.e. horse + man = centaur.
4. Senses
a. present things in mixture as confusion and
b. transmit bodies with incorporeal realities within
5. Mind abstracts incorporeal realities from bodies to consider
them in themselves.
6. Genera and species, as incorporeal, exist in bodies.
7. Substantial likeness of several individuals (unlike in
number), conceived by the intellect, becomes a species.
8. Conceptualization gathers likenesses from species.
9. Likenesses are sensible in individual things, conceived by
the intellect they are intelligible
THEREFORE
10. Universals have two modes of being: in reality and thought
[Aristotle's solution, as interpreted by Alexander of
Aphrodisias] Plato believed universals to be beyond
genera, species and universals.

B. Boethius's Response to Porphyry's Questions
THEREFORE
1. Universals are not simply concepts, they are subsistent realties.
2. Universals are incorporeal, are not spatiotemporal.
3. They do not subsist outside individuals except as
Ideas in our own minds or God's.