Ideas from 'Ontological Dependence' by Kit Fine [1995], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Aristotelian Society' (ed/tr -) [ ,]].

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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / c. Philosophy as generalisation

14255

We understand things through their dependency relations

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 1. Nature of Metaphysics

14250

Metaphysics deals with the existence of things and with the nature of things

2. Reason / D. Definition / 4. Real Definition

14259

Maybe two objects might require simultaneous real definitions, as with two simultaneous terms

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / b. Being and existence

14253

An object's 'being' isn't existence; there's more to an object than existence, and its nature doesn't include existence

7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 4. Ontological Dependence

14261

There is 'weak' dependence in one definition, and 'strong' dependence in all the definitions

14251

A natural modal account of dependence says x depends on y if y must exist when x does

14257

An object depends on another if the second cannot be eliminated from the first's definition

14254

Dependency is the real counterpart of one term defining another

9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 1. Unifying an Object / c. Unity as conceptual

14252

We should understand identity in terms of the propositions it renders true

9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 2. Types of Essence

14256

How do we distinguish basic from derived esssences?

14258

Maybe some things have essential relationships as well as essential properties

9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 4. Essence as Definition

14260

An object only essentially has a property if that property follows from every definition of the object