Does Bradley’s Regress Support Nominalism?

Abstract

Nominalists often derive indirect support for their position from an argument to the
effect that realism about universals is vulnerable to Bradley’s regress. I argue
independently (a) that realism is no more committed to the regress than nominalism is
and, moreover, (b) that neither view is committed to Bradley’s regress. An analysis
of the sources for the regress reveals that there are two ways of avoiding the
regress. I argue that both ways are open to nominalist and realist positions
alike.