Ideas from 'Extrinsic Properties' by David Lewis [1983], by Theme Structure
[found in 'Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology' by Lewis,David [CUP 1999,0-521-58787-5]].
green numbers give full details |
back to texts
|
unexpand these ideas
8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 4. Intrinsic Properties
|
14979
|
Being alone doesn't guarantee intrinsic properties; 'being alone' is itself extrinsic
|
|
|
|
Full Idea:
The property of 'being alone in the world' is an extrinsic property, even though it has had by an object that is alone in the world.
|
|
|
|
From:
report of David Lewis (Extrinsic Properties [1983]) by Theodore Sider - Writing the Book of the World 01.2
|
|
|
|
A reaction:
I always choke on my cornflakes whenever anyone cites a true predicate as if it were a genuine property. This is a counterexample to Idea 14978. Sider offers another more elaborate example from Lewis.
|
|
15454
|
Extrinsic properties come in degrees, with 'brother' less extrinsic than 'sibling'
|
|
|
|
Full Idea:
Properties may be more or less intrinsic; being a brother has more of an admixture of intrinsic structure than being a sibling does, yet both are extrinsic.
|
|
|
|
From:
David Lewis (Extrinsic Properties [1983], I)
|
|
|
|
A reaction:
I suppose the point is that a brother is intrinsically male - but then a sibling is intrinsically human. A totally extrinsic relation would be one between entities which shared virtually no categories of existence.
|
9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 5. Individuation / b. Individuation by properties
|
15455
|
Total intrinsic properties give us what a thing is
|
|
|
|
Full Idea:
The way something is is given by the totality of its intrinsic properties.
|
|
|
|
From:
David Lewis (Extrinsic Properties [1983], I)
|
|
|
|
A reaction:
No. Some properties are intrinsic but trivial. The 'important' ones fix the identity (if the identity is indeed 'fixed').
|