APPREHENSION: First Mental Act Lecture #2

APPREHENSION – is the act of the mind wherein it understands or comprises

knowledge on the nature or essence of a thing without affirming or negating anything.

IDEA – is the intellectual “image” or representation of a thing.

- synonymous to the concept of the mind.

PHANTASM – is a sensible representation of the material features of a thing. It is a sort

of practical image, bearing or shape or figure. It is a substitute when we are thinking of
physical objects that are not present.

Distinction between Idea and Phantasm:

IDEA PHANTASM
a. found in the intellect a. found in the imagination
b. universal b. individual
c. constant c. changeable
d. possible of complex and immaterial d. not possible of complex and immaterial
things things

IDEOGENESIS – is the process of idea-formation based on the primary principle:

“Nothing enters the mind unless it passes first through the senses. Knowledge first
acquired is sensible because of the involvement of the external and internal senses.

External senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch

Internal senses: estimative sense, memory, and imagination

TERM – is a verbal or outward expression or manifestation of an idea. It is an articulate

sound signifying an idea, or an expression of idea through words, and it connotes and
denotes something.

Examples:

“Hello! Good Evening!” Articulate Sound

“Mahal kita walang iba. Paniwalaan mo sana ako sinta” Expression through words

CONNOTATION – is comprehension. When we speak of a mother we meant it to be a

woman with a child/children.

DENOTATION – is extension. When we speak about “MRS.” we mean “a mother” and

“a wife”.
CLASSIFICATION OF TERMS

A. TERMS ACCORDING TO QUANTITY

QUANTITY – refers to a definite or an indefinite number of things.

1. Singular Term – is one that stands for a single word, thing or individual. It may stand
for a name of a thing, place, animal, fruit or person.

Examples:
a. Attorney Cory Pot
b. Market! Market!
c. This Girl
d. Lapu-lapu
e. Lemon
f. Fish
g. Manila
h. Singapore
i. Man
j. Eye

2. Universal Term – stands for a whole class and each member of that class.

Examples:
a. Every dog
b. All Filipinos
c. Music
d. Chicken
e. Death
f. Success
g. Jose Rizal

3. Particular Term – stands for an indefinite number of things, people or individual in a

class. It may be referred to also as “uncountable”. Thus we use the words: much, a
little, some, many, few, and most.

Examples:
a. Some weeks ago
b. Some students
c. Many FPJ fans
d. Few Filipinos
e. Some teachers
f. Most coins
g. Few books
h. I’ve spent a little time
i. Give me some money
4. Collective Term – stands for a group of objects, people or things regarded as a basic
unit.

Examples:
a. Herd
b. Flock
c. Family
d. Army
e. Audience

Collective terms may be universal if used as a singular term or specified term.

Examples:
a. This Army
b. The Family
c. This Flock
d. This team
e. The group

Collective terms may be particular…

Examples:
a. Some Herds
b. Few Armies
c. Some Societies
d. Some armies

B. TERMS ACCORDING TO THE NATURE OF REFERENTS

1. Concrete Terms – stands for physical entities, tangible realities or things perceived
by the senses.

Examples:
a. Apple trees
b. Food
c. Shirt
d. Shoes
e. Cat
f. Books
g. Mountain
h. Computer

2. Abstract Terms – stands for things understood, produced or comprehended by the

mind.
Examples: Justice, Kindness, Humanity, Honor, Beauty, Goodness, Stability
3. Empty or Null Terms – stand for imaginary things.
Examples:
a. Unicorn
b. Fairies
c. Kapre
d. Manananggal
e. A pig that flies.
f. A horse that speaks.

C. TERMS ACCORDING TO MEANING

MEANING – describes what is being indicated by the term. It points out to something
indicated by the word.

1. Equivocal Term – is a word that admits two or more meaning. Equal or same in
sound/word but having different meaning and different sense.

EQUI – means equal.

VOCARE – means sound.

Examples:
a. Ruler
b. Bark
c. Spring
d. Cast
e. Leave
f. Story

2. Univocal Term – can be predicated to two or more subjects that may signify the
same sense.

Example:
Dennis is a man.

Dencio is a man.

Man in this sense is univocal. It is predicated to the names Dennis and Dencio.

3. Analogous Term – can be predicated by two or more things which are partly the
same and partly different.

Example:
Legs of lady.
Legs of a table.
4. Contrary Terms – are those terms that represent two extremes among objects
belonging to the same class. Among contrary terms, there is always a middle ground.

Examples:
a. Slow – Fast
b. Hot – Cold
c. Loud – Quiet
d. Happy – Sad
e. Good – Worst

5. Relative Terms – are those terms that cannot be understood without the other.

Examples:
a. Husband – Wife
b. Mother – Child
c. Student – Teacher
d. Doctor – Patient

6. Deprivative Terms – are those terms that signify the denial of a perfection that one
ought to possess.

Examples:
a. Bad – Goodness
b. Little – Greatness
c. Blind – Sight
d. Sickness – Health
e. Poverty – Health