Single Idea 7048

[catalogued under 9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 3. Unity Problems / c. Statue and clay]

Full Idea

Must we choose between reductionism (the statue is the lump of bronze), eliminativism (there are no statues, only statue-shaped lumps of bronze), and a commitment to coincident objects?

Gist of Idea

Do we reduce statues to bronze, or eliminate statues, or allow statues and bronze?

Source

John Heil (From an Ontological Point of View [2003], 16.5)

Book Reference

Heil,John: 'From an Ontological Point of View' [OUP 2005], p.184


A Reaction

(Heil goes on to offer his own view). Coincident objects sounds the least plausible view. Modern statues are only statues if we see them that way, but a tree is definitely a tree. Trenton Merricks is good on eliminativism.