Piccinini, Gualtiero (2022) An Egalitarian Account of Composition and Realization. [Preprint]

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Abstract

I argue that wholes are neither identical to nor (completely) distinct from their parts. Instead, wholes are invariants under some transformations in their parts. Similarly, higher-level properties are neither identical to nor (completely) distinct from their lower-level realizers. Instead, higher-level properties are aspects of their realizers that are invariant under some transformations in their realizers. Nowhere in this picture is there any ontological hierarchy between levels of composition or realization. Neither wholes nor their parts are more fundamental. Neither is prior. Neither reduces to the other. Neither is eliminated. Ditto for higher-level properties and their lower-level realizers. Instead, wholes and their properties as well as parts and their properties are different yet invariant aspects of reality. The result is an egalitarian account of composition and realization.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Piccinini, Gualtiero piccininig@umsl.edu
Keywords:	composition, realization, levels, whole, part, property, invariant
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Reductionism/Holism
Depositing User:	Prof. Gualtiero Piccinini
Date Deposited:	08 Jan 2022 04:36
Last Modified:	08 Jan 2022 04:36
Item ID:	20075
DOI or Unique Handle:	10.1093/monist/onab035
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Reductionism/Holism
Date:	2 January 2022
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/20075

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