The Problem of Thing-Construction

Abstract

The second fundamental constructive task in the development of a theory of tropes is that of constructing what may be called ‘concrete particulars’ (or, ‘things’) from a basic stock of tropers.²³¹

[...] substances are objects of pre-philosophical thinking: they present themselves to the ontologist as data for philosophical analysis. His task is to provide a coherent account of the ontological structure of these familiar non-philosophical objects.²³⁰