Learn English – the meaning of “abstract out” in this context

meaningmeaning-in-context

This is the context:

So, in principle, with a brain connectivity map we would have a vast trove of objective data about the
brain, and with our own introspection, we have a vast trove of subjective data about consciousness. One
might think it would then be possible to abstract out the relevant kinds of principles that connect the
objective to the subjective. I don’t think this would mean that we would bridge the mind/brain gap, but we
would have boiled down this conundrum to the simplest possible principles.

source: The enigma of human consciousness.New York Academy of Sciences.

What is the meaning of "abstract out" in this context?

Best Answer

It means that you (are able to) only take the relevant parts. "Abstract" here is a verb that means "to remove or extract".

From Collins,

If you abstract something from a place, you take it from there.

[formal]

  • ...a licence to abstract water from the River Axe.
  • The author has abstracted poems from earlier books.
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