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Single Idea 12881

[filed under theme 7. Existence / B. Change in Existence / 3. Moments ]

Full Idea

A smiling, being an event, has causes and effects, whereas the smile thereby produced is a continuant, and has itself neither causes nor effects.

Gist of Idea

A smiling is an event with causes, but the smile is a continuant without causes

Source

Peter Simons (Parts [1987], 8.5)

Book Ref

Simons,Peter: 'Parts: a Study in Ontology' [OUP 1987], p.307

A Reaction

This is dogmatic, hopeful and a bit dubious. Simons is very scathing about processes in ontology. There seem to be two descriptions, with distinctive syntax, but it is hard to believe that in reality we have two types of thing present.

The 4 ideas with the same theme [treating small units of time as among the things that exist]:

12880 Moments are things like smiles or skids, which are founded on other things [Simons]
12883 Moving disturbances are are moments which continuously change their basis [Simons]
12881 A smiling is an event with causes, but the smile is a continuant without causes [Simons]
12882 A wave is maintained by a process, but it isn't a process [Simons]