notebook/notes/ontology/properties.md

---
title: Properties
TARGET DECK: Obsidian::H&SS
FILE TAGS: ontology::property
tags:
  - ontology
  - property
---

## Overview

A **property** is an entity that can be predicated of things or, in other words, attributed to them.

%%ANKI
Basic
What is a property?
Back: An entity that can be predicated or attributed to things.
Reference: Francesco Orilia and Michele Paolini Paoletti, “Properties,” in _The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy_, ed. Edward N. Zalta, Spring 2022 (Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2022), [https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2022/entries/properties/](https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2022/entries/properties/).
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END%%

## Instantiation

An entity is said to **instantiate** a property if said entity bears a connection to the property. For example, a human instantiates the property of *being human* and a man instantiates the properties of *being human* and *being a man*.

%%ANKI
Basic
What is instantiation?
Back: A relation held between an entity and the properties that describe the entity.
Reference: Nikk Effingham, _An Introduction to Ontology_ (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013).
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END%%

%%ANKI
Cloze
A man is said to {instantiate} the property of *being a man*.
Reference: Nikk Effingham, _An Introduction to Ontology_ (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013).
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END%%

%%ANKI
Basic
What is self-instantiation?
Back: The instantiation of a property by itself.
Reference: Nikk Effingham, _An Introduction to Ontology_ (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013).
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END%%

%%ANKI
Basic
What is non-self-instantiation?
Back: The non-instantiation of a property by itself.
Reference: Nikk Effingham, _An Introduction to Ontology_ (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013).
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END%%

%%ANKI
Basic
Suppose all properties are self-instantiating. What must be said about *being honest*?
Back: The property *being honest* is honest.
Reference: Francesco Orilia and Michele Paolini Paoletti, “Properties,” in _The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy_, ed. Edward N. Zalta, Spring 2022 (Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2022), [https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2022/entries/properties/](https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2022/entries/properties/).
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END%%

%%ANKI
Basic
Suppose properties are abstracta. What self-instantiation is thus formed?
Back: The property of abstractness is abstract.
Reference: Francesco Orilia and Michele Paolini Paoletti, “Properties,” in _The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy_, ed. Edward N. Zalta, Spring 2022 (Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2022), [https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2022/entries/properties/](https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2022/entries/properties/).
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END%%

%%ANKI
Basic
What is the paradox of non-self-instantiation?
Back: The property *non-self-instantiation* is non-self-instantiating iff it is self-instantiating.
Reference: Nikk Effingham, _An Introduction to Ontology_ (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013).
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END%%

%%ANKI
Basic
Let $P$ be the property *is non-self-instantiating*. What happens if $P$ is non-self-instantiating?
Back: Then $P$ must be self-instantiating.
Reference: Nikk Effingham, _An Introduction to Ontology_ (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013).
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END%%

%%ANKI
Basic
Let $P$ be the property *is non-self-instantiating*. What happens if $P$ is self-instantiating?
Back: Then $P$ must be non-self-instantiating.
Reference: Nikk Effingham, _An Introduction to Ontology_ (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013).
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END%%

## Bibliography

* Francesco Orilia and Michele Paolini Paoletti, “Properties,” in _The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy_, ed. Edward N. Zalta, Spring 2022 (Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2022), [https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2022/entries/properties/](https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2022/entries/properties/).
* Nikk Effingham, _An Introduction to Ontology_ (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013).