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Single Idea 8523

[filed under theme 8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 13. Tropes / a. Nature of tropes ]

Full Idea

The 'problem of imperfect community' cannot arise where our resemblance sets are sets of tropes. Tropes, by their very nature and mode of differentiation can only resemble in one respect.

Clarification

See Idea 7957 for Goodman's problem of Imperfect Community

Gist of Idea

Tropes solve the Imperfect Community problem, as they can only resemble in one respect

Source

Keith Campbell (The Metaphysic of Abstract Particulars [1981], §6)

Book Ref

'Properties', ed/tr. Mellor,D.H. /Oliver,A [OUP 1997], p.135


A Reaction

You arrive at very different accounts of what resemblance means according to how you express the problem verbally. We can only find a solution through thinking which transcends language. Heresy!

Related Idea

Idea 7957 Without respects of resemblance, we would collect blue book, blue pen, red pen, red clock together [Goodman, by Macdonald,C]


The 14 ideas from 'The Metaphysic of Abstract Particulars'

Two red cloths are separate instances of redness, because you can dye one of them blue [Campbell,K]
Red could only recur in a variety of objects if it was many, which makes them particulars [Campbell,K]
Abstractions come before the mind by concentrating on a part of what is presented [Campbell,K]
Tropes are basic particulars, so concrete particulars are collections of co-located tropes [Campbell,K]
Events are trope-sequences, in which tropes replace one another [Campbell,K]
Causal conditions are particular abstract instances of properties, which makes them tropes [Campbell,K]
Davidson can't explain causation entirely by events, because conditions are also involved [Campbell,K]
Bundles must be unique, so the Identity of Indiscernibles is a necessity - which it isn't! [Campbell,K]
Two pure spheres in non-absolute space are identical but indiscernible [Campbell,K]
Tropes solve the Companionship Difficulty, since the resemblance is only between abstract particulars [Campbell,K]
Tropes solve the Imperfect Community problem, as they can only resemble in one respect [Campbell,K]
Nominalism has the problem that without humans nothing would resemble anything else [Campbell,K]
Trope theory makes space central to reality, as tropes must have a shape and size [Campbell,K]
Relations need terms, so they must be second-order entities based on first-order tropes [Campbell,K]