Antisubstantivalism

Antisubstantivalism is a philosophical position concerning the nature of objects and their existence. It stands in opposition to substantivalism, which holds that objects are substances that can exist independently of their properties. Antisubstantivalists argue that objects are nothing more than bundles or collections of their properties. In this view, an object is not a distinct entity underlying its attributes, but rather the properties themselves, organized or related in a particular way. For example, a red ball is not a ball that has the property of redness; rather, the "red ball" is simply the bundle of properties that constitutes redness, roundness, and the properties associated with being a ball.

There are different versions of antisubstantivalism. Some proponents argue that objects are reducible to their properties, meaning that talk about objects can be fully translated into talk about properties. Others suggest a more nuanced relationship, where objects are constituted by properties but not necessarily identical to them. This philosophical stance often arises in discussions about metaphysics, particularly concerning the existence and nature of particulars. The debate between substantivalism and antisubstantivalism touches upon fundamental questions about what exists and how we understand the world around us.