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Single Idea 15852

[filed under theme 9. Objects / C. Structure of Objects / 8. Parts of Objects / b. Sums of parts ]

Full Idea

In the case of a quantity that has a beginning, a middle and an end, there are those instances in which the order does not create a differentia, which are said to be 'sums', and those is which it does, which are said to be 'wholes'.

Gist of Idea

A 'whole' (rather than a mere 'sum') requires an internal order which distinguishes it

Source

Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 1024a01-5)

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Metaphysics', ed/tr. Lawson-Tancred,Hugh [Penguin 1998], p.146

A Reaction

This is the reason why Aristotle is so much better than the run-of-the-mill naïve modern metaphysician.

The 22 ideas with the same theme [the concept of parts treated as one concept]:

15852 A 'whole' (rather than a mere 'sum') requires an internal order which distinguishes it [Aristotle]
15840 If a syllable is more than its elements, is the extra bit also an element? [Aristotle]
16790 A body is always the same, whether the parts are together or dispersed [Hobbes]
17014 The place of a thing is the sum of the places of its parts [Newton]
12852 If x is ever part of y, then y is necessarily such that x is part of y at any time that y exists [Chisholm, by Simons]
15512 In mereology no two things consist of the same atoms [Lewis]
15519 Trout-turkeys exist, despite lacking cohesion, natural joints and united causal power [Lewis]
15521 Given cats, a fusion of cats adds nothing further to reality [Lewis]
15522 The one has different truths from the many; it is one rather than many, one rather than six [Lewis]
14210 A gerrymandered mereological sum can be a mess, but still have natural joints [Lewis]
13329 An 'aggregative' sum is spread in time, and exists whenever a component exists [Fine,K]
13330 An 'compound' sum is not spread in time, and only exists when all the components exists [Fine,K]
15839 If something is 'more than' the sum of its parts, is the extra thing another part, or not? [Harte,V]
15837 What exactly is a 'sum', and what exactly is 'composition'? [Harte,V]
15838 The problem with the term 'sum' is that it is singular [Harte,V]
12814 Classical mereology says there are 'sums', for whose existence there is no other evidence [Simons]
12817 'Mereological extensionality' says objects with the same parts are identical [Simons]
12833 If there are c atoms, this gives 2^c - 1 individuals, so there can't be just 2 or 12 individuals [Simons]
12849 Sums are more plausible for pluralities and masses than they are for individuals [Simons]
12877 Sums of things in different categories are found within philosophy. [Simons]
13041 Collections have fixed members, but fusions can be carved in innumerable ways [Potter]
14198 Absolutely unrestricted qualitative composition would allow things with incompatible properties [Paul,LA]