Full Idea
Most relations obtain only between certain kinds of thing. To learn that x is a part of y, however, tells you nothing about x and y taken individually.
Gist of Idea
Parthood lacks the restriction of kind which most relations have
Source
Stephen Yablo (Aboutness [2014], 03.2)
Book Reference
Yablo,Stephen: 'Aboutness' [Princeton 2014], p.46
A Reaction
Too sweeping. To be a part of crowd you have to be a person. To be part of the sea you have to be wet. It might depend on whether composition is unrestricted.
Related Idea
Idea 12795 Parts must be of the same very general type as the wholes [Laycock]