Title: Classical Mereology: Past, Present, and Challenges

Speaker: Achille C. Varzi (Columbia University)

Time: June 5th (Friday), 15:10 - 18:00

Location: Room 106, Lee Shau Kee Humanities Buildings No.2 (李兆基人文学苑2号楼106)

Abstract:

Mereology—the formal theory of parthood relations—has become a central area of inquiry not only in metaphysics, but also in logic, the foundations of mathematics, and the philosophy of science, indeed in every field where part-whole theorizing plays a fundamental role. This talk will provide a critical survey and a state-of-the-art assessment of the principal developments in the field, with particular emphasis on the motivations and prospects of the theory known as Classical Mereology.