Mereological Essentialism - Arguments Against - The Argument From A Paradigmatic Example

The Argument From A Paradigmatic Example

The most common argument against mereological essentialism is the view that it cannot be universally true. Take us, ourself, persons. We are humans, living organisms. As organisms we survive by having our parts replaced by, for instance, metabolism or organ transplantation. Or as humans we might have our hair or fingernails cut. All of these procedures do not seem to lead to the nonexistence of the person or for that matter the nonexistence of the living organism. Therefore mereological essentialism cannot be universally true (Plantinga 1975).

Also, if the mereological essentialist believes in presentism, then this argument may fail to convince them. A person who believes in presentism believes that the present is the only relevantly true world. This view is a response to the problem of Qualitative Change.

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