Single Idea 21673

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 8. Facts / b. Types of fact]

Full Idea

Chrysippus says there are two classes of facts, simple and complex. An instance of a simple fact is 'Socrates will die at a given date', ...but 'Milo will wrestle at Olympia' is a complex statement, because there can be no wrestling without an opponent.

Gist of Idea

There are simple and complex facts; the latter depend on further facts

Source

report of Chrysippus (fragments/reports [c.240 BCE]) by M. Tullius Cicero - On Fate ('De fato') 13.30

Book Reference

Cicero: 'On Fate, Stoic Paradoxes, Oratory', ed/tr. Rackham,H. [Harvard Loeb 1942], p.227


A Reaction

We might say that there are atomic and complex facts, but our atomic facts tend to be much simpler, usually just saying some object has some property.