structure for 'Objects'    |     alphabetical list of themes    |     expand these ideas

9. Objects / C. Structure of Objects / 7. Substratum

[an object's underlying aspect, apart from surface features]

22 ideas
It is unclear whether Aristotle believes in a propertyless subject, his 'ultimate matter' [Aristotle, by Lawson-Tancred]
If you extract all features of the object, what is left over? [Aristotle]
Something must pre-exist any new production [Aristotle]
A substrate is either a 'this' supporting qualities, or 'matter' supporting actuality [Aristotle]
A subject can't be nothing, so it must qualify as separate, and as having a distinct identity [Aristotle, by Gill,ML]
If we remove surface qualities from wax, we have an extended, flexible, changeable thing [Descartes]
Complex ideas are collections of qualities we attach to an unknown substratum [Locke]
A 'substratum' is just a metaphor for whatever supports several predicates [Leibniz]
A peach is sweet and fuzzy, but it doesn't 'have' those qualities [Chisholm]
I favour the idea of a substratum for properties; spacetime seems to be just a bearer of properties [Martin,CB]
The notorious substratum results from substance-with-qualities; individuals-with-powers solves this [Harré/Madden]
Models nicely separate particulars from their clothing, and logicians often accept that metaphysically [Kaplan]
For the bare particular view, properties must be features, not just groups of objects [Stalnaker]
Possible worlds allow separating all the properties, without hitting a bare particular [Stalnaker]
A substance is either a bundle of properties, or a bare substratum, or an essence [Macdonald,C]
Each substance contains a non-property, which is its substratum or bare particular [Macdonald,C]
The substratum theory explains the unity of substances, and their survival through change [Macdonald,C]
A substratum has the quality of being bare, and they are useless because indiscernible [Macdonald,C]
If a substrate gives causal support for change, quite a lot of the ingredients must endure [Pasnau]
A substrate may be 'prime matter', which endures through every change [Pasnau]
There may be different types of substrate, or temporary substrates [Pasnau]
A substratum can't be 'bare', because it has a job to do [Pasnau]