Forms and Compounds in Koslicki’s Mereological Hylomorphism

• Published in: Philosophia (Ramat Gan) Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 1849 - 1863
• Main Author: Sciacca, Giulio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.09.2023
• Subjects: Education; Epistemology; Ethics; Philosophy; Philosophy of Language; Philosophy of Mind; Philosophy of Science; Hylomorphism; Koslicki; Grounding; Identity; Dependence
• ISSN: 0048-3893; 1574-9274
• DOI: 10.1007/s11406-023-00645-w

Kathrin Koslicki is one of the leading authors of mereological hylomorphism, a non-reductive theory that construes material objects as mereological fusions of matter and form. Accordingly, Michelangelo’s David has both a portion of marble and David ’s individual form as proper parts. I individuate two kinds of dependence that play an important role in characterising Koslicki’s brand of hylomorphism. First, forms depend for their existence on the compounds of which they are parts. Second, hylomorphic compounds depend for their identity on their forms. The existential dependence of forms on their compounds ensures forms cannot float free of material objects, whereas the identity dependence of material objects on their forms grants forms play a non-trivial role in determining the nature of their compounds. The main goal of the present paper is to argue that these two claims of dependence lead to a contradiction when conjoined with some further weak principles concerning parthood and grounding. I then briefly illustrate which are the theoretical commitments that Koslicki may arguably relax to avoid the impasse. In the end, though, her brand of hylomorphism will be in a worse dialectical position.