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Mereology

Feb 4, Feb 6

Tuesday Topic

This week we’ll explore progressively stronger mereologies, beginning with Minimal Mereology, moving to Extensional Mereology, and finally looking at Classical Extensional Mereology.  Put another way:  we’ll start with claims like “no things can be parts of one another” and “if you have just some of something, there must be some more of it”.  We’ll move on to more controversial claims, like “no distinct things can have exactly the same parts”.  And finally, we’ll look at the question of what it takes for some collection of objects to make up a further thing.  The tools covered this week apply widely and are helpful even outside of Metaphysics.

This Week's Readings

Normally on Tuesdays I have you read a paper I've selected, and then on Thursdays you read (and do a reading response for) a paper of your own choosing. This week, you'll have no papers due to read by Tuesday, but two papers of your own selection and reading response sheets due on Thursday. If you're giving a presentation this week, you can select whichever paper you prefer (you don't need to present both of them!).

Thursday Workshop

The following students should be ready to present, in this order:

  •   Kate

  •   Marco

  •   Julian

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