Language
All natural languages have words for abstract concepts. For example, the word freedom is a completely abstract concept that can't be directly perceived or measured. Learning a new language allows an individual to acquire new abstract concepts and can result in new thought processes.
Civilization & Society
Civilizations and societies are build upon abstract concepts such as the idea of civility.
Culture
Culture is based on abstractions such as the idea of a tradition.
Mathematics
Mathematics is mostly based on abstract concepts such as infinity or zero. The word mathematics itself is a completely abstract concept.
Information Technology
Information technology and computing concepts are mostly abstract such as the idea of cloud computing or artificial intelligence.
Business
Business concepts such as quality, automation and innovation are abstract and flexible concepts that can be defined differently from one firm to the next.
Marketing
Marketing basics such as the idea of a brand. Brands can be extremely valuable with this value completely based on customer perceptions and recognition of brand symbols.
Science
Foundational concepts of science such as time, events and causation. Likewise, elements of the scientific method such as a hypothesis, experiment or control are abstract concepts.
Education
Education is an abstraction based on other abstractions such as thinking, ideas, creativity and experience.
Architecture & Design
Architecture and design have a rich culture of abstraction that include styles, philosophies, methods and goals that are all completely intangible. For example, the idea of color harmony, dominance or negative space.
Art
Abstract concepts in art should not be confused with abstract art. Abstract art is a depiction of an abstract concept such an emotion that has no physical form. Abstract concepts in art include methods, genres, interpretations and philosophies. For example, the idea of art for art's sake is an abstraction.
Communication
Communication concepts such as storytelling, humor and influencing.
Social
Social concepts such as status, kindness or coolness.
Fiction
Fiction is free to invent new abstract concepts. In some cases, abstract concepts from fiction, particularly science fiction, become real with time. In this way, fiction plays a role in inventing the future.
Overview
Abstract concepts are ideas with no specific physical manifestation. These can be social constructs or subjective interpretations. However, this is not always the case. It can not be said that just because something isn't physical that it is invented or subjective. For example, time isn't physical but it has specific properties that aren't invented or open to subjective interpretation. This is easy to see with a thought experiment -- you can't go back in time simply because you choose to interpret time as being a two-way street.
Summary
Abstract concepts aren't necessarily obscure academic ideas but are rather elements of everyday language and reality. These are so common that humans think mostly in abstraction as the rule rather than the exception.
| Definitions: Abstract Concept | ||
Type | ||
Definition (1) | An idea that has no defining physical form. | |
Definition (2) | An entity or generalization that is considered real or potentially real that can not be directly confirmed with the senses. | |
Related Concepts | ||
