Re: [jboske] individuation and masses (was: RE: mass, group,

[John Cowan <cowan@ccil.org>]

Jorge Llambias scripsit:

> If you divide {pa rismi} in many parts, you normally end up
> with {so'i rismi} (assuming you started with a big enough
> {pa rismi}. But if you divide {pa nanmu} in many parts,
> you don't end up with {so'i nanmu}, no matter how big the
> pa nanmu was. 

Ah, but you can, if "pa nanmu" means "a regiment of men"
(which is justified on the same basis as saying "pa birje" can mean
"a vat of beer"). Gricean considerations will block this in most
cases, but not all.

In short, I think of the notion of collectives as orthogonal to
the individual/substance distinction. A collective may constitute
an individual or a substance.

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