On Universals

I have more to say on Universals. I think Universals are theoretically inferred. I don't think this is a conscious inference most of the time. I think that when words are useful, there is reason to believe something corresponds to the words. I do not belive we are directly acquainted with the universals however. Different people are acquainted with the same words. Same in that they are acquainted with different tokens of the same words. Tokens of words are commonly thought of as printed marks on paper, or sounds. They are now really much more varied including electromagnetic waves, etc. Even two people looking at the "same" mark on a piece of paper are acquainted through a different sequence of events. There are really different tokens of the word. We infer a Universal [word] exists which is instantiated in all the word tokens. As well, as most words are useful, we infer there are Universals (beyond the words) which the words correspond it is an empirical matter which words correspond to universals. I think for these purposes, all acquaintance occurs at a finite speed - so is ultimately local. So since different people can be widely separated, they cannot be acquained with the same Universal at the same time. They can, however, have overlapping pasts in which they have learned to use word tokens which instantiate the same [Word] Universal. Whatever in a person's brain enables a person a person to use a word token, I call an Idea. Thus they can infer that there is a Universal which corresponds to a word token belonging a Universal [Word] another person also has word tokens for and that the other person also uses corresponding to the same [non-verbal] Universal. Also, unlike in PoP, I don't think awareness of white snow sufficient for acquaintance with the Universal White. Squirrels can see snow, but not having language, have no reason to infer the existence of any Universals. Also, I thins at least most words are for Universals. [I think Russell said this somewhere.] There would be no reason to have particular words that refer to particulars. I take particulars to be events that only exist for short periods of time. They can be described with Universals, and abbreviations could be made for those descriptions. Using a word as for a Universal - say white - requires more than being able to have an experience of the Universal - white. For Logic is is necessary to use a word as for a Universal - not merely to have a causal relation to it. On the other hand, the argument from acquaintance being local has a problem. White snow can exist in multiple places at the same time. So multiple people could experience white at the same time. But using tokens for the word "white" as a Universal requires a shared verbal history.