Categories in an ontology of states of affairs
This chapter details the account of ontological categories. It relies on two basic notions, that of a form-set and that of a base-set. The fundamental idea is that form-sets are sets of constituents of states of affairs which have the same form: they are intersubstitutable in states of affairs. Base-sets, on the other hand, are a particular kind of form-set, namely those form-sets which can be used to construct other form-sets. Ontological categories with base-sets are identified. The idea is that collections of form-sets usually contain some redundancy, some sets which, were they deleted, could immediately be reinstated by constructing them from other form-sets. Only those form-sets which are employed in such a construction constitute the actual core of the collection of form-sets.
Keywords: states affairs, form-sets, base-sets, relativism
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