To read this content please select one of the options below:

Philosophical Foundations of Concepts and Their Representation and Use in Explanatory Frameworks

Richard P. Bagozzi (University of Michigan, USA)

ISBN: 978-1-80043-631-2, eISBN: 978-1-80043-630-5

Publication date: 12 September 2022

Abstract

Concepts equip the mind with thought, provide our theories with ideas, and assign variables for testing our hypotheses. Much of contemporary research deals with narrowly circumscribed concepts, termed simple concepts herein, which are the grist for much empirical inquiry in the field. In contrast to simple concepts, which exhibit a kind of unity, complex concepts are structures of simple concepts, and in certain instances unveil meaning going beyond simple concepts or their aggregation. When expressed in hylomorphic structures, complex concepts achieve unique ontological status and serve particular explanatory capabilities. We develop the philosophical foundation for hylomorphic structures and show how they are rooted in dispositions, dispositional causality, and various mind–body trade-offs. Examples are provided for this emerging perspective on “Big concepts” or “Big Ideas.”

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

The author would like to express his gratitude to the editors, Professors Baumgartner and Weijters, who provided critical commentary helpful in revising an earlier draft of this manuscript.

Citation

Bagozzi, R.P. (2022), "Philosophical Foundations of Concepts and Their Representation and Use in Explanatory Frameworks", Baumgartner, H. and Weijters, B. (Ed.) Measurement in Marketing (Review of Marketing Research, Vol. 19), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 5-52. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1548-643520220000019002

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited