Title: Flexible Objects

Speaker: Leon Horsten (University of Konstanz)

Time: Oct. 13th (Tuesday) 15:10 - 18:00

Location: Teaching Building No.2 (二教) 411

Abstract:

I explore the idea that objects are modally flexible. I describe a formal flexible object theory (FOT), according to which objects coincide and diverge from each other in possibilities. In terms of modal profiles of objects, a notion of continuous modal change will be defined. Moreover, FOT postulates a privileged sub-class of objects which are modally rigid. The class of rigid objects functions as a metaphysical coordinate system of sorts, in terms of which the modal profiles of all flexible objects can be expressed. FOT is intended to be fully general: it will be shown how it applies not only to concrete objects, but also to abstract objects such as mathematical objects. In particular, FOT gives rise to a version of mathematical structuralism (which I call supra-structuralism), which contains a philosophical account of relations between mathematical structures (which are notoriously difficult to describe well within standard versions of mathematical structuralism).