從結構式組合理論看整體─部分關係

Abstract

一般而言，我們會認為大部分存在於這個世界中的事物都是由其部分所組成的，但是這些「組合」需不需要滿足一些組合的條件呢？這便是所謂的「特殊組合的問題」：亦即，到底在什麼樣的充分與必要條件之下，一群個物可以組合而成一個個物？ 本文的前三章將分別討論限制式的、虛無式的以及總體論式的組合理論，儘管這幾條進路都可以為特殊組合的問題帶來不同的回答，並提供它們各自的理由，但是它們也都似乎得面對各自的困難。為了對特殊組合的問題做出恰當的回答，我認為范恩在一系列的文章中提供了更具說服力的看法。范恩企圖去論證，當我們面對組合這樣的問題時，應該要考慮個物之間所具有的「結構」，而不是單單用傳統的部分整體學去分析個物之間的組合關係。我將在最後一章論證這個─我稱為結構論─的觀點，並認為范恩的看法能夠提供一個對特殊組合的問題更好的回答，而「結構」正是我們對個物作分析時不可或缺的要素之一。

There are a number of material objects in our ordinary life, and most of them composed by their parts. But, is there any condition to be satisfied for the composition of material objects? This is so-called Special Composition Question (SCQ): What are the sufficient and necessary conditions for any xs out of which an object is composed? I introduce Restricted Composition, Nihilism and Universalism. Although each of these theories has its own answer to SCQ, and also offers some convincing reasons to support its own account, but they all face some serious problems. Hence, I reject these theories. And I find that the series of works by Kit Fine provides more plausible approach to SCQ. Fine suggests that we pay more attention to the aspect of structure of material objects, and I call this account Structuralism. I defend this account in the last chapter and conclude that a theory of composition is acceptable, only when it can well explain the nature of structural composition.