more from Alex Oliver

Single Idea 10472

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 1. Universals]

Full Idea

The 'structural universals' methane and butane are each made up of the same universals, carbon and hydrogen.

Gist of Idea

'Structural universals' methane and butane are made of the same universals, carbon and hydrogen

Source

Alex Oliver (The Metaphysics of Properties [1996], §07)

Book Reference

-: 'Mind' [-], p.13


A Reaction

He cites Lewis 1986, who is criticising Armstrong. If you insist on having universals, they might (in this case) best be described as 'patterns', which would be useful for structuralism in mathematics. They reduce to relations.