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Full Idea
We might say that the truthmakers for 'six is greater than five' are six and five themselves. On this view, truthmakers for one class of relational truths are non-relational features of the world.
Gist of Idea
In the case of 5 and 6, their relational truthmaker is just the numbers
Source
John Heil (Relations [2009], 'Founding')
Book Ref
'Routledge Companion to Metaphysics', ed/tr. Le Poidevin/Simons etc [Routledge 2012], p.316
A Reaction
That seems to be a good way of expressing the existence of an internal relation.
Related Idea
Idea 21351 Truthmaking is a clear example of an internal relation [Heil]
21339 | We want the ontology of relations, not just a formal way of specifying them [Heil] |
21351 | Truthmaking is a clear example of an internal relation [Heil] |
21350 | If properties are powers, then causal relations are internal relations [Heil] |
21344 | If R internally relates a and b, and you have a and b, you thereby have R [Heil] |
21349 | Two people are indirectly related by height; the direct relation is internal, between properties [Heil] |
21348 | In the case of 5 and 6, their relational truthmaker is just the numbers [Heil] |
21340 | Maybe all the other features of the world can be reduced to relations [Heil] |