Parts: A Study in Ontology

By Peter M. Simons

Book Overview

Although the relationship of part to whole is one of the most fundamental there is, this is the first full-length study of this key concept. Showing that mereology, or the formal theory of part and whole, is essential to ontology, Simons surveys and critiques previous theories--especially the standard extensional view--and proposes a new account that encompasses both temporal and modal considerations. Simons's revised theory not only allows him to offer fresh solutions to long-standing problems, but also has far-reaching consequences for our understanding of a host of classical philosophical concepts.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199241465
• ISBN13: 9780199241460
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Clarendon Press
• Length: 404 Pages
• Weight: 3.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.7"