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Full Idea
By treating grounding as transitive (and irreflexive), one generates a strict partial ordering that induces metaphysical structure.
Gist of Idea
If ground is transitive and irreflexive, it has a strict partial ordering, giving structure
Source
Jonathan Schaffer (Grounding, Transitivity and Contrastivity [2012], Intro)
Book Ref
'Metaphysical Grounding', ed/tr. Correia,F/Schnieder,B [CUP 2012], p.122
A Reaction
Schaffer's paper goes on to attach the claim that grounding is transitive, but I didn't find his examples very convincing.
Related Ideas
Idea 13457 A 'partial ordering' is irreflexive and transitive; the sets are ordered, but not the subsets [Hart,WD]
Idea 13458 A partial ordering becomes 'total' if any two members of its field are comparable [Hart,WD]
17304 | As causation links across time, grounding links the world across levels [Schaffer,J] |
17306 | If ground is transitive and irreflexive, it has a strict partial ordering, giving structure [Schaffer,J] |
17305 | I take what is fundamental to be the whole spatiotemporal manifold and its fields [Schaffer,J] |
17307 | Nowadays causation is usually understood in terms of equations and variable ranges [Schaffer,J] |
17308 | Explaining 'Adam ate the apple' depends on emphasis, and thus implies a contrast [Schaffer,J] |