more from David Lewis

Single Idea 15450

[catalogued under 15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 3. Abstraction by mind]

Full Idea

We could say that abstraction is just mereological subtraction of universals.

Gist of Idea

Maybe abstraction is just mereological subtraction

Source

David Lewis (Against Structural Universals [1986], 'Uninstantiated')

Book Reference

Lewis,David: 'Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology' [CUP 1999], p.103


A Reaction

This only works, of course, for the theories that complex universals have simpler universals as 'parts'. This is just a passing surmise. I take it that abstraction only works for a thing whose unity survives the abstraction.