Wisdom Notes on Philosophy

Summary of Chapter 2

A relative concept is a concept that cannot be defined either by similarity or by difference to other concepts. A way to understand this paradox is provided by the analysis of perception. In perception, which is a relative process, a subjective effect always goes hand in hand with an objective effect.

I expanded this analysis by considering the linguistic sign, which follows this form of relationship. The linguistic sign is not defined by difference, as in Saussure’s view; nor is it defined by similarity, as in analytical logic. It requires both factors in order to be truly representational.

My final example is consciousness, which again incorporates relative forms. The linguistic consciousness is pure relativity and so is defined neither by difference nor by similarity to other forms of consciousness. Other forms of consciousness are partially relative.

These ideas indicate the nature of relative concepts, relative processes, and relative forms. When we are dealing with relativity, we are handling both difference and similarity together. Another way of expressing this is that relativity ties subjectivity and objectivity together. Therefore a relative concept or a relative process or a relative form always indicates a binary relationship. One aspect of the relationship centres on difference and the other aspect on similarity.

This result is the general meaning of relativity. I apply this view to physics in chapter 4, but first I explore language in the next chapter.

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