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Single Idea 9435
[filed under theme 8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 1. Nominalism / a. Nominalism
]
Full Idea
A 'porridge' nominalist denies natural kinds, and thinks there are no objective divisions in reality, so concepts or words can be used by a community to divide the world up in any way that suits their purposes.
Gist of Idea
A 'porridge' nominalist thinks we just divide reality in any way that suits us
Source
Stephen Mumford (Laws in Nature [2004], 07.3)
Book Ref
Mumford,Stephen: 'Laws in Nature' [Routledge 2006], p.110
The
24 ideas
from 'Laws in Nature'
9408
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Science studies phenomena, but only metaphysics tells us what exists
[Mumford]
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9411
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There are no laws of nature in Aristotle; they became standard with Descartes and Newton
[Mumford]
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9412
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You only need laws if you (erroneously) think the world is otherwise inert
[Mumford]
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9415
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Would it count as a regularity if the only five As were also B?
[Mumford]
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9416
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Regularities are more likely with few instances, and guaranteed with no instances!
[Mumford]
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9422
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If the best system describes a nomological system, the laws are in nature, not in the description
[Mumford]
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9421
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The best systems theory says regularities derive from laws, rather than constituting them
[Mumford]
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9427
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For Humeans the world is a world primarily of events
[Mumford]
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9429
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Many forms of reasoning, such as extrapolation and analogy, are useful but deductively invalid
[Mumford]
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9430
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Singular causes, and identities, might be necessary without falling under a law
[Mumford]
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9431
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Pure regularities are rare, usually only found in idealized conditions
[Mumford]
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9432
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Laws of nature are necessary relations between universal properties, rather than about particulars
[Mumford]
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9433
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If laws can be uninstantiated, this favours the view of them as connecting universals
[Mumford]
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9434
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Laws of nature are just the possession of essential properties by natural kinds
[Mumford]
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9435
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A 'porridge' nominalist thinks we just divide reality in any way that suits us
[Mumford]
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9437
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To distinguish accidental from essential properties, we must include possible members of kinds
[Mumford]
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12248
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How can we show that a universally possessed property is an essential property?
[Mumford]
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9439
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The Central Dilemma is how to explain an internal or external view of laws which govern
[Mumford]
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9441
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Regularity laws don't explain, because they have no governing role
[Mumford]
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9443
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It is only properties which are the source of necessity in the world
[Mumford]
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9444
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There are four candidates for the logical form of law statements
[Mumford]
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9445
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We can give up the counterfactual account if we take causal language at face value
[Mumford]
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9446
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Properties are just natural clusters of powers
[Mumford]
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9447
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If properties are clusters of powers, this can explain why properties resemble in degrees
[Mumford]
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