Single Idea 15439

[catalogued under 9. Objects / C. Structure of Objects / 1. Structure of an Object]

Full Idea

On the 'pictorial' conception, a structural universal is isomorphic to its instances. ...It is an individual, a mereological composite, not a set. ...It is composed of simpler universals which are literally parts of it.

Gist of Idea

The 'pictorial' view of structural universals says they are wholes made of universals as parts

Source

David Lewis (Against Structural Universals [1986], 'The pictorial')

Book Reference

Lewis,David: 'Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology' [CUP 1999], p.90


A Reaction

I'm not clear why Lewis labels this the 'pictorial' view. His other two views of structural universals are 'linguistic' and 'magical'. The linguistic is obviously wrong, and the magical doesn't sound promising. Must I vote for pictorial?

Related Idea

Idea 15441 The structural universal 'methane' needs the universal 'hydrogen' four times over [Lewis]