On Sunday, August 11, 2019 at 1:07:02 PM UTC-5, Bruno Marchal wrote: > > > On 9 Aug 2019, at 22:27, Philip Thrift <[email protected] <javascript:>> > wrote: > > > > *The Right Stuff* > Ned Markosian > https://markosiandotnet.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/right-stuff.pdf > from https://markosian.net/online-papers/ > > *Things are also known as “objects” and “entities,” and stuff is also > known as* > *“matter” and “material.”* > > *This paper argues for including stuff in one’s ontology. The distinction* > *between things and stuff is first clarified, and then three different > ontologies* > *of the physical universe are spelled out: a pure thing ontology, a pure > stuff* > *ontology, and a mixed ontology of both things and stuff. (The paper > defends* > *the latter.) Eleven different reasons for including stuff (in addition to > things)* > *in one’s ontology are given (seven of which the author endorses and four > of* > *which would be sensible reasons for philosophers with certain > metaphysical* > *positions that the author does not happen to hold). Then five objections > to* > *positing stuff are considered and rejected.* > > > Honest and clear defence of stuff!. I appreciate his distinction between > things and stuff. > > So with mechanism, we can say: many things no stuff! > (Many things like numbers, machines, persons, physical objects, physical > experiences, etc.), > > > Feel free to defend any of the eleven reason he gave. Up to now (I read > slowly) I am not convinced. > > I am more sure that 2+2=4 than of the existence of plumb, .. not > mentioning the existence of a plumber ! > > Bruno > > I don't know about a plumb, but of a plum, I am more sure of any of my experiences of eating a plum than 2+2=4.
2+2=4 is a heuristic of mathematical language. Useful for us, but not "real" like a plum-eating experience. Language bewilders us, and thus we talk and write and think of things, but it's the plum stuff that matters. @philipthrift -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/11e53032-aca1-4728-a637-d4183865559d%40googlegroups.com.
