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Single Idea 8443

[from 'Varieties of Causation' by Ernest Sosa, in 9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 12. Essential Parts ]

Full Idea

Mereological essentialism says that nothing else could have been the unique entity composed of certain parts except the very thing that is composed of those parts.

Gist of Idea

Mereological essentialism says an entity must have exactly those parts

Source

Ernest Sosa (Varieties of Causation [1980], 2)

Book Reference

'Causation', ed/tr. Sosa,E. /Tooley,M. [OUP 1993], p.237


A Reaction

This sounds initially implausible. It means the ship of Theseus ceases to be that ship if you change a single nail of it. Whether we say that seems optional, but if we do, it leads to the collaps of all our normal understanding of identity.