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Single Idea 10707

[filed under theme 4. Formal Logic / G. Formal Mereology / 1. Mereology ]

Full Idea

Mereology tends to elide the distinction between the cards in a pack and the suits.

Gist of Idea

Mereology elides the distinction between the cards in a pack and the suits

Source

Michael Potter (Set Theory and Its Philosophy [2004], 02.1)

Book Ref

Potter,Michael: 'Set Theory and Its Philosophy' [OUP 2004], p.23

A Reaction

The example is a favourite of Frege's. Potter is giving a reason why mathematicians opted for set theory. I'm not clear, though, why a pack cannot have either 4 parts or 52 parts. Parts can 'fall under a concept' (such as 'legs'). I'm puzzled.

The 14 ideas from 'Set Theory and Its Philosophy'

10702 Set theory's three roles: taming the infinite, subject-matter of mathematics, and modes of reasoning [Potter]
10703 Supposing axioms (rather than accepting them) give truths, but they are conditional [Potter]
10704 We can formalize second-order formation rules, but not inference rules [Potter]
13041 Collections have fixed members, but fusions can be carved in innumerable ways [Potter]
10707 Mereology elides the distinction between the cards in a pack and the suits [Potter]
10708 Nowadays we derive our conception of collections from the dependence between them [Potter]
13042 If dependence is well-founded, with no infinite backward chains, this implies substances [Potter]
10709 Priority is a modality, arising from collections and members [Potter]
10712 If set theory didn't found mathematics, it is still needed to count infinite sets [Potter]
10713 Usually the only reason given for accepting the empty set is convenience [Potter]
13043 A relation is a set consisting entirely of ordered pairs [Potter]
13044 Infinity: There is at least one limit level [Potter]
17882 It is remarkable that all natural number arithmetic derives from just the Peano Axioms [Potter]
13546 The 'limitation of size' principles say whether properties collectivise depends on the number of objects [Potter]