Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Roots of Reference', 'Leibniz:Body,Substance,Monad' and 'Treatise on Quantity'

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4 ideas

7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 6. Fundamentals / c. Monads

12695	Epicurean atomists say body is sensible, to distinguish it from space. [Garber]
	Full Idea: The Epicurean atomists also defined body in terms of the property of being sensible, in order to distinguish it from empty space, which is not sensible.
	From: Daniel Garber (Leibniz:Body,Substance,Monad [2009], 1)
	A reaction: This is a very illuminating bit of background, for those of us who have the knee-jerk reaction that monadology is barking mad.

8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 3. Powers as Derived

14296	Dispositions are physical states of mechanism; when known, these replace the old disposition term [Quine]
	Full Idea: Each disposition, in my view, is a physical state or mechanism. ...In some cases nowadays we understand the physical details and set them forth explicitly in terms of the arrangement and interaction of small bodies. This replaces the old disposition.
	From: Willard Quine (The Roots of Reference [1990], p.11), quoted by Stephen Mumford - Dispositions 01.3
	A reaction: A challenge to the dispositions and powers view of nature, one which rests on the 'categorical' structural properties, rather than the 'hypothetical' dispositions. But can we define a mechanism without mentioning its powers?

9. Objects / C. Structure of Objects / 4. Quantity of an Object

16672	Quantity is the quantified parts of a thing, plus location and coordination [Olivi]
	Full Idea: Quantity refers to nothing other than the parts of the thing quantified, together with their location or position, being extrinsically coordinated with each other.
	From: Peter John Olivi (Treatise on Quantity [1286], f. 49vb), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 14.1
	A reaction: I'm not sure I understand 'extrinsically'. Is there some external stretching force? God spends his time spreading out his stuff? It is nice that being spread out isn't taken for granted. We take much more for granted than they did. Motion, for example.

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / g. Atomism

12705	Epicurean atoms are distinguished by their extreme hardness [Garber]
	Full Idea: In Epicurean atomism (of Cordemoy, for example) there is a world of basic things distinguished by virtue of their extreme hardness.
	From: Daniel Garber (Leibniz:Body,Substance,Monad [2009], 2)
	A reaction: Garber says that Leibniz espouses 'substantial atomism', which is different from this. Leibniz's atoms have active power, where these atoms just embody total resistance.