Simples and the possibility of discrete space

Australasian Journal of Philosophy 84 (1):117 – 128 (2006)
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Abstract

What are the necessary and jointly sufficient conditions for an object's being a simple (an object without proper parts)? According to one prominent view, The Pointy View of Simples, an object is a simple if and only if the region occupied by that object contains exactly one point in space. According to another prominent view, MaxCon, an object is a simple if and only if it is maximally continuous. In this paper, I argue that both of these views are inconsistent with the possibility of discrete space. I then go on to formulate analogues to these two views that are consistent with this possibility, and argue that if we are willing to grant the possibility of discrete space, we should endorse the analogue to The Pointy View of Simples over the analogue to MaxCon.

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Neal Tognazzini
Western Washington University

Citations of this work

Mereology.Achille C. Varzi - 2016 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Location and Mereology.Cody Gilmore - 2013 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Mereological Nihilism and Puzzles about Material Objects.Bradley Rettler - 2018 - Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 99 (4):842-868.
A tale of two simples.Joshua Spencer - 2010 - Philosophical Studies 148 (2):167 - 181.
Simples and gunk.Hud Hudson - 2007 - Philosophy Compass 2 (2):291–302.

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References found in this work

Parts of Classes.David K. Lewis - 1991 - Mind 100 (3):394-397.
Simples.Ned Markosian - 1998 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 76 (2):213 – 228.
Parts of Classes.Michael Potter - 1993 - Philosophical Quarterly 43 (172):362-366.
Simples, Stuff, and Simple People.Ned Markosian - 2004 - The Monist 87 (3):405-428.

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