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Single Idea 14482

[filed under theme 9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 3. Unity Problems / c. Statue and clay ]

Full Idea

An objection to the idea that statues are not identical to material lumps of stuff is the proliferation of instances of properties shared by those objects. If the mass of the statue is 500kg, and the mass of the lump is 500kg, do we have 1000kg?

Gist of Idea

If the statue and the lump are two objects, they require separate properties, so we could add their masses

Source

Amie L. Thomasson (Ordinary Objects [2007], 04.3)

Book Ref

Thomasson,Amie L.: 'Ordinary Objects' [OUP 2010], p.80

A Reaction

[compressed; she cites Rea 1997 and Zimmerman 1995] To wriggle out of this we would have to understand 'object' rather differently, so that an independent mass is not intrinsic to it. I leave this as an exercise for the reader.

The 21 ideas from 'Ordinary Objects'

21651 It is analytic that if simples are arranged chair-wise, then there is a chair [Thomasson, by Hofweber]
14467 Ordinary objects are rejected, to avoid contradictions, or for greater economy in thought [Thomasson]
14466 A chief task of philosophy is making reflective sense of our common sense worldview [Thomasson]
14471 Analytical entailments arise from combinations of meanings and inference rules [Thomasson]
14475 How can causal theories of reference handle nonexistence claims? [Thomasson]
14474 Pure causal theories of reference have the 'qua problem', of what sort of things is being referred to [Thomasson]
14476 Identity claims between objects are only well-formed if the categories are specified [Thomasson]
14477 Identical entities must be of the same category, and meet the criteria for the category [Thomasson]
14478 Modal Conventionalism says modality is analytic, not intrinsic to the world, and linguistic [Thomasson]
14479 To individuate people we need conventions, but conventions are made up by people [Thomasson]
14480 Maybe analytic truths do not require truth-makers, as they place no demands on the world [Thomasson]
14481 Wherever an object exists, there are intrinsic properties instantiating every modal profile [Thomasson]
14482 If the statue and the lump are two objects, they require separate properties, so we could add their masses [Thomasson]
14483 Given the similarity of statue and lump, what could possibly ground their modal properties? [Thomasson]
14485 Ordinary objects may be not indispensable, but they are nearly unavoidable [Thomasson]
14486 Eliminativists haven't found existence conditions for chairs, beyond those of the word 'chair' [Thomasson]
14487 The simple existence conditions for objects are established by our practices, and are met [Thomasson]
14489 Theories do not avoid commitment to entities by avoiding certain terms or concepts [Thomasson]
14488 Analyticity is revealed through redundancy, as in 'He bought a house and a building' [Thomasson]
14491 Rival ontological claims can both be true, if there are analytic relationships between them [Thomasson]
14493 Existence might require playing a role in explanation, or in a causal story, or being composed in some way [Thomasson]