more from David M. Armstrong

Single Idea 18371

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 5. Class Nominalism]

Full Idea

For a Class Nominalist 'the class of all 4-kilo objects' is the truthmaker for the truth that the particular has just that mass. Yet this looks far too big! Would not the object still be four kilos even if the other members of the class had never existed?

Gist of Idea

The class of similar things is much too big a truthmaker for the feature of a particular

Source

David M. Armstrong (Truth and Truthmakers [2004], 04.2)

Book Reference

Armstrong,D.M.: 'Truth and Truthmakers' [CUP 2004], p.40


A Reaction

This seems so obvious to me as to be hardly worth saying. To identify redness with the class of red entities just seems crazy. Why do they belong in that class? Armstrong is illustrating the value of the truthmaker idea in philosophy.