Verbal Abstraction

1- The cow known to science ultimately consists of atoms, electrons etc.. according to present-day scientific inference…….

2- The cow we perceive is not the word but the object of experience, that which our nervous system abstracts (selects)……

3- The word “Bessie” (cow) is the name we give to the object of perception of level 2. The name is not the object; it merely stands for the object and omits reference to many characteristics of the object.

4- The word “cow” stands for the characteristics we have abstracted as common to cow, cow, cow. Characteristics peculiar to particular cows are left out.

5- When Bessie is referred to as “livestock” only those characteristics she has in common with pigs, chickens, goats, etc. are referred to.

6- When Bessie is included among “farm assets” reference is made only to what she has in common with all other saleable items in the farm.

7- When Bessie is referred to as an “asset” still more of her characteristics are left out.

8- The word “wealth” is an extremely high level of abstraction, omitting almost all reference to the characteristics of Bessie.

(McKim 1972, 128)

p.s. Poor Bessie :-(

Therefore I don’t eat meat.

So much for becoming an academic LOL