Single Idea 23714

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 2. Powers as Basic]

Full Idea

Dispositional essentialism yields the view that just fundamental properties and some evolved macro properties are powers. The grounding view, by contrast, seems to yield the result that all properties are powers.

Gist of Idea

Dispositional essentialism (unlike the grounding view) says only fundamental properties are powers

Source

Friend/Kimpton-Nye (Dispositions and Powers [2023], 3.7)

Book Reference

Friend/Kimpton-Nye: 'Dispositions and Powers' [CUP 2023], p.71


A Reaction

For the second view, Mumford (for example) claims that the sphericity of a ball is a power, but that seems to miss the whole motivation for the powers ontology, which offers a fairly fundamental explanation of laws and modality.

Related Ideas

Idea 23711 A power is a property which consists entirely of dispositions [Friend/Kimpton-Nye]

Idea 23712 Powers are qualitative properties which fully ground dispositions [Friend/Kimpton-Nye]