Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'A Powers Theory of Modality' and 'The Structure of Objects'

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2 ideas

8. Modes of Existence / A. Relations / 3. Structural Relations
Structures have positions, constituent types and number, and some invariable parts [Koslicki]
     Full Idea: Structures make available positions or places for objects, and place restraints on the type of constituent, and on their configuration. ...These lead to restrictions on the number of objects, and on which parts of the structure are invariable.
     From: Kathrin Koslicki (The Structure of Objects [2008], 9.6)
     A reaction: [compressed] That's a pretty good first shot at saying what a structure is, which I have so far not discovered any other writer willing to do. I take this to be an exploration of what Aristotle meant by 'form'.
If structures result from intrinsic natures of properties, the 'relations' between them can drop out [Jacobs]
     Full Idea: If a relation holds between two properties as a result of their intrinsic natures, then it appears the relation between the properties is not needed to do the structuring of reality; the properties themselves suffice to fix the structure.
     From: Jonathan D. Jacobs (A Powers Theory of Modality [2010], §4.1)
     A reaction: [the first bit quotes Jubien 2007] He cites a group of scientific essentialists as spokesmen for this view. Sounds right to me. No on seems able to pin down what a relation is - which may be because there is no such entity.