In common speech, the word individual most often refers to a person, or, by analogy, to any specific object in a group of things. For example, you the reader are an individual person, and a lawn is made of individual blades of grass. Originally, in the 15th century or earlier, the term meant "indivisible" as still used in statistics (see below), but from the seventeenth century on the term indicated separateness, as in individualism. (Abbs 1986, cited in Klein 2005, p.26-27)

In metaphysics and statistics, the word individual, while sometimes meaning "a person", more typically describes any numerically singular thing. Used in many contexts, both 'Socrates' and 'the Moon' denote individuals; 'grapefruit' and 'redness' (generally) do not. 'Individual' as a piece of philosophical jargon is much-bandied and often to be found in the company of particular -- indeed, often treated as synonymous with 'particular' (though one wonders if abstract particulars can count as individuals) -- and contrasted with 'universal'.

References

---

• Gracia, Jorge J. E. (1988). Individuality: An Essay on the Foundations of Metaphysics. : State Univ of New York Pr.
• Klein, Anne Carolyn (1995). Meeting the Great Bliss Queen: Buddhists, Feminists, and the Art of the Self. ISBN 0807073067.

More on [ Individual ]

Individual - Twitter Search

WJHC gold-medal final: Individual awards no surprise - Conz goalie, Eberle forward, Pietrangelo defence.: http://bit.ly/5JIOYd
davedeibert (Dave Deibert) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:01:06 -0000
WJHC gold-medal final: Individual awards no surprise - Conz goalie, Eberle forward, Pietrangelo defence.: http://bit.ly/5JIOYd
@nixxin Just because an individual says it is abuse, is no reason for a provider to hand over information.
gkjohn (Gautam John) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:59:43 -0000
@nixxin Just because an individual says it is abuse, is no reason for a provider to hand over information.
@swilbert1 the decisions being made by the NCAA, like with healthcare, protects $$$ before it protects the individual it claims to care abt
johnvmoore (John V. Moore) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:57:30 -0000
@swilbert1 the decisions being made by the NCAA, like with healthcare, protects $$$ before it protects the individual it claims to care abt
If Biggest Loser really wanted to make me cry, it would tell me how many of the contestants would be denied individual health insurance.
gerkmana (Alli Gerkman) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:56:31 -0000
If Biggest Loser really wanted to make me cry, it would tell me how many of the contestants would be denied individual health insurance.
@MattZemek_CFN It's a mistake for national guys to try to cover individual games like a beat writer would. No need for that, IMO.
kilroyfsu (John Cary) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:56:19 -0000
@MattZemek_CFN It's a mistake for national guys to try to cover individual games like a beat writer would. No need for that, IMO.
Privatizing the tollway. Privatizing Midway airport. How about privatizing each individual city block, while we're at it?
econwriter5 (Gwynne Monahan) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:54:54 -0000
Privatizing the tollway. Privatizing Midway airport. How about privatizing each individual city block, while we're at it?

Subscribe to Individual RSS feed