Single Idea 16290

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 11. Properties as Sets]

Full Idea

I believe in properties. That is, I have my candidates for entities to play the role and deserve the name. My principal candidates are sets of possible individuals.

Gist of Idea

I believe in properties, which are sets of possible individuals

Source

David Lewis (On the Plurality of Worlds [1986], 3.4)

Book Reference

Lewis,David: 'On the Plurality of Worlds' [Blackwell 2001], p.189


A Reaction

I am bewildered by any claim that a property is a 'set'. The property of being a teaspoon is just a large pile of teaspoons (one pile in each possible world)? This is the tyranny of first-order logic in philosophy. Are sets more real than properties?

Related Idea

Idea 16281 Honesty requires philosophical theories we can commit to with our ordinary commonsense [Lewis]