Substantiality. The material universe contains substances, fragments (proper parts) of substances, and heaps of substances and fragments. Substances are more fundamental than fragments and heaps in three respects: (i) identity, (ii) existence, and (iii) nature. This rules out what I have called “faint-hearted hylomorphism,” along with any kind of microphysicalism. Hylomorphic composition goes all theContinue reading “Core Commitments of Hylomorphism”
Category Archives: Individuation
Hylomorphism: An Overview
Hylomorphism is a research programme in metaphysics and philosophy of nature that has been undergoing a revival in recent years. The core ideas of the programme were developed by Aristotle, including the terms hylos (matter) and morphe (form). The programme has been under almost continuous development ever since, with major contributions by Simplicius, Plotinus, Avicenna,Continue reading “Hylomorphism: An Overview”
Two Problems with Actualism
Given the problems with Possibilism, it might seem that we should abandon possibilism and embrace actualism. Actualism certainly captures the right kind of inequality. Actual things are real, and there simply are no non-actual things. Absolutely everything is actual! At the same time, there could have been things that do not exist. Perhaps there couldContinue reading “Two Problems with Actualism”