Single Idea 14961

[catalogued under 9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 3. Unity Problems / a. Scattered objects]

Full Idea

There is at the moment a pipe on my desk. Its stem has been removed but it remains a pipe for all that; otherwise no pipe could survive a thorough cleaning.

Gist of Idea

Clearly a pipe can survive being taken apart

Source

Richard Cartwright (Scattered Objects [1974], p.175)

Book Reference

Cartwright,Richard: 'Philosophical Essays' [MIT 1987], p.175


A Reaction

To say that the pipe survives dismantling is not to say that it is fully a pipe during its dismantled phase. He gives a further example of a book in two volumes.