Full Idea
All the activities apparently carried out by shelves and stars and other artefacts and natural bodies can be understood as disguised cooperative activities. And, therefore, we are not forced to grant existence to any artefacts or natural bodies.
Gist of Idea
Actions by artefacts and natural bodies are disguised cooperations, so we don't need them
Source
Peter van Inwagen (Material Beings [1990], 12)
Book Reference
Inwagen,Peter van: 'Material Beings' [Cornell 1995], p.122
A Reaction
In 'the crowd tore her to pieces' are we forced to accept the existence of a crowd? We can't say 'Jack tore her to pieces' and 'Jill tore her to pieces'. If a plural quantification is unavoidable, we have to accept the plurality. Perhaps.