Leaky abstractions in language
2025
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Advisor: Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Levent Yurdakul Kavas
Abstract (EN)
Is philosophy a language mistake? Does the language ever go on holiday? This dissertation explores these questions by adapting the concept of "The Law of Leaky Abstractions" from computer science, where it holds that all non-trivial abstractions are leaky to some degree, and extending it to the domain of philosophy. It argues that language, morality, systems, and theoretical frameworks are themselves leaky abstractions that obscure as much as they reveal. Drawing on the genealogical critique of Nietzsche and the philosophy of Wittgenstein, the project reinterprets problems such as the limits of language, the illusion of essential truths, and the bewitchment and seduction by means of language. It further applies this perspective to contemporary issues such as political correctness and the pursuit of a unified theory in physics. By framing philosophical and cultural systems as abstractions prone to leakage, the dissertation examines whether our abstraction capacity ever truly escapes its own illusions.
Author
Kartal Taşoğlu
How to Cite
Kartal Taşoğlu (Doctorate thesis). Leaky abstractions in language, 2025, Yeditepe University.
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