A White Horse Is Not a Horse: Gongsun Long and the Puzzle of Universals
In classical Chinese, words bend reality: Gongsun Long's "white horse is not a horse" puzzles semantics, logic, and ontology, challenging how names define things.
Steps
- 1
- Reading· ~9 min
Universals, Attributes, and the Hard-White Stone
How the 'hard and white' discourse deepens Gongsun Long's theory of abstraction.
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- Text Explore· ~8 min
The White Horse Dialogue
Read Gongsun Long's core argument in his own words.
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- Argument Map· ~10 min
Why a White Horse Is Not a Horse
Map the logical structure of Gongsun Long's two-pronged argument.
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- Dialogue· ~10 min
Dialogue with Gongsun Long
Press Gongsun Long on whether his paradox is illuminating or just sophistry.
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- Reflection· ~8 min
Reflection: When Names Mislead
Reflect on what the white horse paradox reveals about your own use of language.
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Complete the Reflection step in this path to rate it and share your thoughts in the comments.