Poll: What are substances?

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Posted by John West
10/06/2016 12:00 pm
#11

884heid wrote:

I thought I was going to be the only one who chooses bare particulars so this is a pleasant surprise.

I voted for thin particulars out of habit. It's no secret that I used to believe in them. I'm, however, not sure these days.

 
Posted by 884heid
10/06/2016 3:33 pm
#12

John West wrote:

884heid wrote:

I thought I was going to be the only one who chooses bare particulars so this is a pleasant surprise.

I voted for thin particulars out of habit. It's no secret that I used to believe in them. I'm, however, not sure these days.

Is there a particular reason for your hesitation towards thin particulars nowadays? Are you perhaps persuaded by the Aristotelian option?

 
Posted by John West
10/06/2016 5:52 pm
#13

884heid wrote:

Is there a particular reason for your hesitation towards thin particulars nowadays?

The short answer is “A change in my view of properties”. I used to think properties universals; now, I incline towards the view that they're instances*. If they're universals, I think it follows that there are thin particulars**; if, however, they're instances, I lose my reason for preferring thin particulars to other options.


*Instances are also sometimes called tropes.
**I perceive particularity and properties in the world. There are four eggs in the carton in my fridge. They're smooth, white, and round.

If all properties are universals, it follows from rejecting necessary identity of indiscernibles that there is some other factor accounting for the particularity I perceive. I think we're forced towards this other factor being thin particulars.

 


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