Why Composition Matters

Andrew M. Bailey, Andrew Brenner*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    3 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Many say that ontological disputes are defective because they are unimportant or without substance. In this paper, we defend ontological disputes from the charge, with a special focus on disputes over the existence of composite objects. Disputes over the existence of composite objects, we argue, have a number of substantive implications across a variety of topics in metaphysics, science, philosophical theology, philosophy of mind, and ethics. Since the disputes over the existence of composite objects have these substantive implications, they are themselves substantive.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)934-949
    Number of pages16
    JournalCanadian Journal of Philosophy
    Volume50
    Issue number8
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Nov 2020

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Philosophy

    User-Defined Keywords

    • Composition
    • material objects
    • mereology
    • metametaphysics
    • substantivity

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Why Composition Matters'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this