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Single Idea 12852

[from 'Person and Object' by Roderick Chisholm, in 9. Objects / C. Structure of Objects / 8. Parts of Objects / b. Sums of parts ]

Full Idea

Chisholm has an axiom: if x is a proper part of y, then necessarily if y exists then x is part of it. If x is ever part of y, they y is necessarily such that x is part of y at any time that y exists.

Gist of Idea

If x is ever part of y, then y is necessarily such that x is part of y at any time that y exists

Source

report of Roderick Chisholm (Person and Object [1976], p.149) by Peter Simons - Parts 5.3

Book Reference

Simons,Peter: 'Parts: a Study in Ontology' [OUP 1987], p.189


A Reaction

This is Chisholm's notorious mereological essentialism, that all parts are necessary, and change of part means change of thing. However, it looks to me more like a proposal about what properties are necessary, not what are essential.