Full Idea
There is no single account of what individuals there are because, we argue, the special sciences may disagree about the bounds and status of individuals since they describe the world at different scales.
Clarification
Any science which is not fundamental is known as 'special'
Gist of Idea
There is no single view of individuals, because different sciences operate on different scales
Source
J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 3.8)
Book Reference
Ladyman,J/Ross,D: 'Every Thing Must Go' [OUP 2007], p.189
A Reaction
This seems to deny that nature has actual joints, and so seems to me to be a form of anti-realism (which they would deny). Why shouldn't there be a single view which unites all of these special sciences?
Related Idea
Idea 14946 There are no cats in quantum theory, and no mountains in astrophysics [Ladyman/Ross]