Full Idea
Sometimes a whole can survive a loss of parts: the chair would still exist if it lost one of its legs. This seems to give complex objects a sort of autonomy over their parts.
Gist of Idea
If an object survives the loss of a part, complex objects can have autonomy over their parts
Source
David Robb (Substance [2009], 'Ident')
Book Reference
'Routledge Companion to Metaphysics', ed/tr. Le Poidevin/Simons etc [Routledge 2012], p.262
A Reaction
There is then a puzzle as to how much loss of parts the whole can survive, and why. The loss of a major part could be devastating, so why do all wholes not exhibit this relation to all their parts? I demand rules, now!