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(1988) Science in reflection, Dordrecht, Springer.
I am very strongly drawn to the view that all there is is the space-time continuum. I call this view "Naturalism." At the same time, I am very strongly drawn to the view that universals exist, that Locke was wrong when he said that all things that exist are only particulars (Essay, III, 3,10). But is it consistent both to be a Naturalist and also to accept universals? Many philosophers have thought that it is not. Those who are Naturalists think that they must be Nominalists. The space-time world is a world of particulars only. And if you are not a Nominalist, if you accept the existence of universals, then, it is thought, it is not possible to be a Naturalist. A philosopher who has recently argued from universals to the falsity of Naturalism is Reinhardt Grossmann (1983).
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Full citation:
Armstrong, D.M. (1988)., Can a naturalist believe in universals?, in E. Ullmann-Margalit (ed.), Science in reflection, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 103-115.
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