Abstract

In his "metalogicon" (written in 1159), John of salisbury summarizes nine current views of the problem of universals and then proposes his own solution. His solution is to distinguish between the exact nature of things, Knowledge of which provides scientific certainty, And the nature which men must infer from various sensibly manifested effects. Genera and species represent such inferred natures. They are not mental representations of the substantial likeness of things (aristotle's view), But "useful fictions" devised by man to facilitate his investigation of sensible reality