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Full Idea
The very being, the identity, of any property consists at least in part in its contrasting as it does with its own proper contraries.
Gist of Idea
Properties only have identity in the context of their contraries
Source
Crawford L. Elder (Real Natures and Familiar Objects [2004], 2.4)
Book Ref
Elder,Crawford L.: 'Real Natures and Familiar Objects' [MIT 2004], p.35
A Reaction
See Elder for the details of this, but the idea that properties can only be individuated contextually sounds promising.
13794 | Essential properties by nature occur in clusters or packages [Elder] |
13795 | Properties only have identity in the context of their contraries [Elder] |
13797 | The loss of an essential property means the end of an existence [Elder] |
13796 | Essential properties are bound together, and would be lost together [Elder] |
13798 | Maybe we should give up the statue [Elder] |