more from Roderick Chisholm

Single Idea 15830

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 1. Nature of Properties]

Full Idea

There are properties which nothing can possibly have; an example is the property of being both round and square.

Gist of Idea

Some properties can never be had, like being a round square

Source

Roderick Chisholm (Person and Object [1976], 4.2)

Book Reference

Chisholm,Roderick: 'Person and Object' [Open Court 1976], p.119


A Reaction

This is a rather bizarre Meinongian claim. For a start it sounds like two properties not one. Is there a property of being both 'over here' and 'over there'? We might say the round-square property must exist, for God to fail to implement it (?)