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Chapter 5 - Different Varieties of Abstract Concepts

from Part II - Abstractness and Language

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 July 2023

Anna M. Borghi
Anna M. Borghi
Affiliation:
University of Rome
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Summary

Chapter 5 is the first chapter of the second part of the book and focuses on abstract concepts – more generally, on abstractness. I first define abstract concepts and illustrate their main characteristics, comparing them with concrete ones. I contend that there is no major opposition between concrete and abstract concepts and that many concepts have both abstract and concrete components. In addition, different varieties of abstract concepts exist. Thus, the different kinds of concrete and abstract concepts can be conceived of as points in a multidimensional space, defined by various features and dimensions. I then focus on the different subkinds of abstract concepts, including emotions and mental states, numerical and spatiotemporal concepts, self and social concepts, and spiritual and philosophical concepts. Finally, I outline the central tenets of the Words As social Tools (WAT) theory on abstractness. According to the WAT view, abstract concepts evoke perception and action but especially activate inner bodily experiences, including interoceptive, emotional, and metacognitive ones. Crucially, the WAT view ascribes a unique role to language and social interaction for abstract concept acquisition and use. Finally, it underscores the flexible and context-dependent character of abstract concepts.

Keywords

abstractnessconcretenessabstract conceptsemotional conceptssocial conceptsinstitutional conceptsWords As social Toolslinguistic experience
Type
Chapter
Information
The Freedom of Words
Abstractness and the Power of Language
 , pp. 153 - 181
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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