Instantiation in Trope Theory

Abstract

The concept of instantiation is realized differently across a variety of metaphysical theories. A certain realization of the concept in a given theory depends on what roles are specified and associated with the concept and its corresponding term as well as what entities are suited to fill those roles. In this paper, the classic realization of the concept of instantiation in a one-category ontology of abstract particulars or tropes is articulated in a novel way and defended against unaddressed objections.

The Theoretical Virtues of Theism

“…Given the relationship between God's attributes (i.e., that of identity and (qualitative) derivability), the divine attributes fit together so as to form a unified nature-rather than exemplifying any form of adhocness. 47 Lastly, Theism is a theory that has universal coherence, as we can see that the central claim provided by the theory of Theism-that there is a God (a metaphysically simple m-power trope)-fits very well with our warranted beliefs as it posits the existence of certain a type of entity-a trope-that is at the foundation of contemporary metaphysics, or at least a "major concern of metaphysics". Specifically, tropes are a standard feature of most current day ontologies, where influential metaphysicians such as D.C. Williams ([20,21]), Keith Campbell ([35]), Jonathan Schaffer ( [36]), Peter Simons ( [37]), Anna-Sofia Maurin ( [22,38]), Douglas Ehring ([39]), Kris McDaniel ( [40]), and Michael Loux ( [41]) have all utilised the concept of a trope within their ontological systems.…”

“…54 It is left open here whether there are, in fact, kinds at the non-fundamental level. 55 For a trope's role as a universal see, ( [46][47][48]).…”

“…There are thus two ways provided for discovering the consistency of theism: either by seeing that no contradiction is entailed by the attributes ascribed to God within the theory, or by the theory abiding by the requirement that God's nature must be a maximally consistent set of attributes-and thus the consistency of the theory is 'built in' to this supposition. 47 There are thus also two ways provided for discovering the internal coherence of Theism: either by focusing on the identity of the attributes that are predicated of God or the derivability of them from maximal power, which both establish the unity and non-ad hocness (i.e., internal coherence) of Theism. 48 There are thus, again, two ways provided for discovering the universal coherence of Theism: either by focusing on the inclusion of a trope within a wide range of ontologies within metaphysics, or the utilisation of this type of entity in important areas of metaphysics, which both establish the universal fit (or coherence) of Theism with other warranted beliefs.…”

Modal Metaphysics and the Existence of God

“…This specific rendering of Theism centres around the notion of a 'powerful trope' -a powerful abstract particular nature of a modifier or modular kind -which has been introduced and defended by various 'trope theorists' such as Williams (1953), Campbell (1990), Maurin (2002), Fisher (2018Fisher ( , 2020 and Molnar (2003), among others. In breaking this concept down in a stepwise manner, we can understand that: first, a trope is abstract, not in the sense that it lacks spatio-temporality, but in the sense that it is 'less than its content' and does not 'exhaust its plime' -in short, multiple tropes can be co-located together to form a compresent bundle.…”