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Single Idea 16947

[from 'Natural Kinds' by Willard Quine, in 15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 7. Seeing Resemblance ]

Full Idea

Things are similar to the extent that they are interchangeable parts of the cosmic machine.

Gist of Idea

Similarity is just interchangeability in the cosmic machine

Source

Willard Quine (Natural Kinds [1969], p.134)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Ontological Relativity and Other Essays' [Columbia 1969], p.134


A Reaction

This is a major idea for Quine, because it is a means to gradually eliminate the fuzzy ideas of 'resemblance' or 'similarity' or 'natural kind' from science. I love it! Two tigers are same insofar as they are substitutable.

Related Idea

Idea 16948 Once we know the mechanism of a disposition, we can eliminate 'similarity' [Quine]