Ideas from 'Causality and Properties' by Sydney Shoemaker [1980], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Identity, Cause and Mind' by Shoemaker,Sydney [OUP 2003,0-19-926470-8]].

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1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 3. Metaphysical Systems

8558	One system has properties, powers, events, similarity and substance

1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 4. Conceptual Analysis

8559	Analysis aims at internal relationships, not reduction

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 1. Nature of Properties

15092

Formerly I said properties are individuated by essential causal powers and causing instantiation [Shoemaker]

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 5. Natural Properties

8543	Genuine properties are closely related to genuine changes

8551	Properties must be essentially causal if we can know and speak about them

8557	To ascertain genuine properties, examine the object directly

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 10. Properties as Predicates

15761

We should abandon the idea that properties are the meanings of predicate expressions

15756

Some truths are not because of a thing's properties, but because of the properties of related things

8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 3. Powers as Derived

15758

Things have powers in virtue of (which are entailed by) their properties

8547	One power can come from different properties; a thing's powers come from its properties

8549	Properties are functions producing powers, and powers are functions producing effects

8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 5. Powers and Properties

12678

Shoemaker says all genuine properties are dispositional [Ellis]

8545	A causal theory of properties focuses on change, not (say) on abstract properties of numbers

15757

'Square', 'round' and 'made of copper' show that not all properties are dispositional

15759

The identity of a property concerns its causal powers

15760

Properties are clusters of conditional powers

15762

Could properties change without the powers changing, or powers change without the properties changing?

8552	If properties are separated from causal powers, this invites total elimination

4040	The notions of property and of causal power are parts of a single system of related concepts

15765

Actually, properties are individuated by causes as well as effects

8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 6. Dispositions / b. Dispositions and powers

8548	Dispositional predicates ascribe powers, and the rest ascribe properties

8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 2. Need for Universals

9485	Universals concern how things are, and how they could be [Bird]

8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 5. Class Nominalism

8550	Triangular and trilateral are coextensive, but different concepts; but powers and properties are the same

9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 15. Against Essentialism

8555	There is no subset of properties which guarantee a thing's identity

10. Modality / B. Possibility / 1. Possibility

8554	Possible difference across worlds depends on difference across time in the actual world

10. Modality / D. Knowledge of Modality / 4. Conceivable as Possible / a. Conceivable as possible

15764

'Conceivable' is either not-provably-false, or compatible with what we know?

10. Modality / D. Knowledge of Modality / 4. Conceivable as Possible / b. Conceivable but impossible

8562	It is possible to conceive what is not possible

14. Science / C. Induction / 5. Paradoxes of Induction / a. Grue problem

8556	Grueness is not, unlike green and blue, associated with causal potential

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / b. Causal relata

8542	If causality is between events, there must be reference to the properties involved

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / b. Scientific necessity

8560	If causal laws describe causal potentialities, the same laws govern properties in all possible worlds

15763

If properties are causal, then causal necessity is a species of logical necessity

8561	If a world has different causal laws, it must have different properties

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / d. Knowing essences

8553	It looks as if the immutability of the powers of a property imply essentiality