Abstract Concepts

Are you curious about abstract concepts such as "philosophy" or "leadership"? The objective of any academic or intellectual investigation is either to do a systematic exposition of existing knowledge or to contribute to knowledge. The subject matter that arouses our curiosity to investigate is unfamiliar or unclear to us.

To properly define the subject matter of an academic or intellectual pursuit is important. Without it, the inquiry or discussion of the issues would be chaotic and not systematic, would confuse rather than contribute to knowledge. The pursuit would be worse if a high-sounding term rather than the right one is used eg "philosophy" for "theory", "leadership" for "authority".

Abstract concepts are not easy to define exactly as people's perceptions are different. The common usage of a term ie its dictionary or lexical meaning may or may not describe or explain its essential qualities. Eg is "an attitude that acts as a guiding principle of behaviour" "philosophy"; or "the action of leading an organization" explains "leadership" at all?

To investigate what people think about certain abstract concepts does not add intellectual value, unless the objective is to find out how confusing they are. Academics or intellectuals can add value by analyzing essential attributes of abstract concepts. To dispel the common illusion of abstract concepts requires precision and thoroughness in explanation!

#AbstractConcepts