Bundle Theory (BT)

Upward regress objection

1. (Premise) If BT holds, then every existing entity that we can predicate something of is a non-empty bundle of tropes or universals.
2. (Premise) Tropes or universals are existing entities that we can predicate something of (say, being a trope or being a universal).
3. Therefore, any existing entity is a bundle of bundles of bundles of bundles ... (regress), or else some existing entity is found in a bundle in a bundle … in itself (circularity). (1 and 2)
4. (Premise) The regress and circularity in 3 are vicious.
5. Therefore, if BT holds, we have a vicious regress or circularity.

Substance Theory

• Properties are had by substances, which unify the properties or tropes had.
• The substance remains in qualitative change.

How to define a substance?

1. Predication (cf. Aristotle): A is a substance provided that A cannot be predicated of anything in the way a property or trope can, but properties or tropes can be predicated of A.
2. Independence (Descartes): A is a substance provided that A is independent of anything else.
3. Independence (Rosenkrantz and Hoffman): A is a substance provided that A is an instance of a category that has a certain independence.
4. Truthmaker: A is a substance provided that if “x” is a name for A then x exists has a truthmaker which is just A itself (variant: the truthmaker of x exists contains nothing besides x and its parts)
5. Virtue of: A is a substance provided that A exists and not in virtue of there being or not being one or more things distinct from A that are a certain way

The bare particular objection

1. (Premise) Substances are distinct from and not dependent on their qualities.

2. (Premise, justified by handwaving and 1) Therefore, in themselves, substances have no qualities.

3. (Premise) Something that in itself has no qualities cannot be grasped or talked about.

4. Therefore, substances cannot be grasped or talked about. (2 and 3)