Principle of abstraction
- 'Level of abstraction' redirects here.
The amount of complexity by which a system is viewed or programmed. The higher the level, the less detail. The lower the level, the more detail. The highest level of abstraction is the entire system. The next level would be a handful of components, and so on, while the lowest level could be millions of objects.[1]
The principle of abstraction is a grouping principle, whereby a hierarchy is adhered to with higher levels of abstraction placed near the top with more specific concepts underneath.
In argument mapping, the principle of abstraction requires that subjective conclusions are supported by less subjective lemmas, which are eventually supported by objective, or near objective premises and/or basis boxes.
Example
For the teaching (not personnel) organization of a university the levels of abstraction would go something like this.
University
- Faculty of Science
- Department of Physics
- Subject - Physics 101
- Topic - Fluid dynamics
- Subject - Physics 101
- Department of Earth Sciences
- Department of Biology
- Department of Physics
- Faculty of Arts
- Department of History
- Australian History
- 1850-1854 Victorian Gold rush
- Australian History
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of Literature
- Department of History
- Faculty of Medicine
- Department of Immunology
- Department of Neurosurgery
- Department of Endocrinology