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(2010) Axiomathes 20 (2-3).
Structural universals as structural parts
toward a general theory of parthood and composition
Thomas Mormann
pp. 209-227
David Lewis famously argued against structural universals since they allegedly required what he called a composition "sui generis" that differed from standard mereological composition. In this paper it is shown that, although traditional Boolean mereology does not describe parthood and composition in its full generality, a better and more comprehensive theory is provided by the foundational theory of categories. In this category-theoretical framework a theory of structural universals can be formulated that overcomes the conceptual difficulties that Lewis and his followers regarded as unsurmountable. As a concrete example of structural universals groups are considered in some detail.
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Mormann, T. (2010). Structural universals as structural parts: toward a general theory of parthood and composition. Axiomathes 20 (2-3), pp. 209-227.
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