Economics Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Quantities, philosophy: quantity is an expression for the set of countable objects, which is referred to in a statement, or correspondingly the expression for the mass of an uncountable material substance about which a statement is. Today, quantity is no longer regarded fundamentally as a category, as it was the case in the traditional philosophy since Aristotle. See also qualities, categories, mass terms, problem of quantities._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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John Bigelow on Quantities - Dictionary of Arguments
I 49 Quantities/Quantity/Bigelow/Pargetter: with quantities we are going to refer to the core area of metaphysics. >Metaphysics. Universals/Bigelow/Pargetter: universals emerge from the confrontation that certain things can be something and something else at the same time. That is only a superficial contradiction. >Universals. Quantity/Bigelow/Pargetter: Example: a) two things are equal by both having a mass. b) they differ at the same time because they have different masses. Quantities/Plato/Bigelow/Pargetter: Problem: if properties are something that a thing can either have or not have, there is a problem of quantities. >Properties, >Problem of quantities. Solution/Plato: Participation in forms. This allows a gradual treatment. >Methexis. Bigelow: We are a moving a little away from Plato. Quantity/Plato/Bigelow/Pargetter: Solutions of this kind have in common that they postulate an entity and vary the relation between this entity and the individuals who own it. I 50 The entity explains what individuals have in common. The relation explains the different degrees. >Relations. Nominalism/Berkeley/Bigelow/Pargetter: this is Berkeley's nominalism: a platonic, abstract form is replaced by a special individual, a "paradigm". (Terminology). >Nominalism. Commonality: individuals have commonality when they resemble the same paradigm. Similarity: is, of course, also gradual, like gradual participation in forms in Plato. >Similarity. Berkeley/Plato/Bigelow/Pargetter: the theories are quite similar: they explain how properties can be gradual. >Plato, >G. Berkeley. Quantities/Bigelow/Pargetter: this does not solve the general problem of quantities (that they are gradual). Problem: Degrees of a relation. >Degrees/graduals. Solution: Similarity and participation are an attempt. Forms/Plato/Bigelow/Pargetter: we do not claim that his theory of forms is wrong. BigelowVsPlato: it does not solve the problem of quantities. (The nature of quantity). >Forms. I 264 Quantities/Possible Worlds/Bigelow/Pargetter: Question: What should we allow as basic equipment? Forces, for sure. Thesis: there are essential connections between fundamental forces and the fundamental causal relation. Causality/Bigelow/Pargetter: must therefore also be part of the basic equipment of our world. >Forces, >Causality, >Ontology._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Big I J. Bigelow, R. Pargetter Science and Necessity Cambridge 1990 |
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