| 1955 | Axioms for the Part Relation |
| p.4 | 10650 | In the military, persons are parts of parts of large units, but not parts of those large units | |
| Full Idea: In military usage, persons can be parts of small units, and small units parts of large ones; but persons are never parts of large units. | |||
| From: Nicholas Rescher (Axioms for the Part Relation [1955]), quoted by Achille Varzi - Mereology 2.1 | |||
| A reaction: This much-cited objection to the transitivity of the 'part' relation seems very odd. There could hardly be an army or a regiment if there weren't soldiers to make up parts of it. |
| 1980 | Scepticism |
| §112 | p.173 | 20365 | We only see points in motion, and thereby infer movement |
| Full Idea: We perceive motion only as isolated points, and then infer it without actually seeing it. | |||
| From: Nicholas Rescher (Scepticism [1980], §112) | |||
| A reaction: Note how writing suddenly becomes readable as you slow down on entering a railway station. Is that points suddenly becoming unified? This is an empiricist endorsement of Russell's 'at-at' account of motion. |
| 1996 | Process Metaphysics |
| p.106 | 22626 | Process philosophy insists that processes are not inferior in being to substances | |
| Full Idea: Process philosophy diametrically opposes the view that denies processes or downgrades them in the order of being or of understanding by subordinating them to substantial things. | |||
| From: Nicholas Rescher (Process Metaphysics [1996]), quoted by R.D. Ingthorsson - A Powerful Particulars View of Causation 7 | |||
| A reaction: [No page cited - nr start?] Ingthorsson quotes this in order to challenge it, and says that substances are also processes, because change is essential to them. |