Loading Events
This event has passed.

Zoom: https://umac.zoom.us/j/94886729254

Password: 450351

 

Abstract

Atomism is the thesis that everything is ultimately composed of atoms. Typically, this thesis is characterized by an axiom stating, more simply, that everything has atomic parts. In the talk I argue that the success of this standard characterization crucially depends both on how the notion of sum and composition are defined. In particular, I put forward a novel definition of mereological sum such that: (i) is not equivalent to extant definitions in the literature, provided no strong decomposition principle is assumed; (ii) can be used to claim that the standard characterization of atomism fails in that having atomic parts is not sufficient to be the sum of atoms; and (iii) delivers a purely mereological distinction between structured and unstructured wholes,  (iv) accounts for cases of hierarchical composition.

 

Bio

Claudio Calosi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Geneva, where he leads the project: The Metaphysics of Quantum Objects. He held various research positions at Oxford, Leeds, UNAM to mention the most recent ones. He specializes in metaphysics, philosophy of physics and philosophical logic. He dresses in black.