On the phenomenon of “dog- wise arrangement”
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 74 (1):132-155 (2007)
| Abstract | An influential line of thought in metaphysics holds that where common sense discerns a tree or a dog or a baseball there may be just many microparticles. Provided the microparticles are arranged in the right way -- are “treewise” or “dogwise” or “baseballwise” arranged -- our sensory experiences will be just the same as if a tree or dog or baseball were really there. Therefore whether there really are suchfamiliar objects in the world can be decided only by determining what more is needed for microparticles dogwise arranged actually to compose a dog. This paper argues that this line of thought sets up the wrong agenda. Composition is trivial; dogwise (etc.) arrangement is tricky. Dogwise arrangement will obtain in the wrong regions unless we stipulate that there are dogs, and that dogwise arrangementobtains only within their borders. The bearers of dogwise arrangement, moreover, will have to be dogs themselves, not their microparticles. Thus allowing that dogwise arrangement obtains at all is allowing that there are dogs | |||||||||
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Manuela Wedl, Iris Schoberl, Barbara Bauer, Jon Day & Kurt Kotrschal (2011). Relational Factors Affecting Dog Social Attraction to Human Partners. Interaction Studies 11 (3):482-503.
Jonathan Benthall (ed.) (1973/1974). The Limits of Human Nature. New York,Dutton.
Andrew Aberdein (2008). Logic for Dogs. In Steven D. Hales (ed.), What Philosophy Can Tell You About Your Dog. Open Court.
Crawford L. Elder (2011). Familiar Objects and Their Shadows. Cambridge University Press.
Crawford L. Elder (2007). On the Phenomenon of "Dog-Wise Arrangement". Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 74 (1):132–155.
Colin Radford (1970). Hoping, Wishing, and Dogs. Inquiry 13 (1-4):100 – 103.
Kristien Hens (2009). Ethical Responsibilities Towards Dogs: An Inquiry Into the Dog–Human Relationship. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 22 (1).
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