1.1. Substratum: We can make a distinction between a thing and its properties. We are not just a collection of properties. A thing can change with respect to its properties. Bundle theory: The substratum theorist is operating unintelligibly. The thing, as opposed to the properties lies beyond our experience.
1.2. A third way?
2. Substance and its meanings
2.1. Substratum: That which underlies or supports the properties of a thing. Substance and quality here refer to separate entities Substance is a separable something else that is not available to us at the level of experience.
2.2. Substance or substance-kind. Real and Nominal Essence: Secondary substance - Animal, Horse, Man. The kinds to which individuals belong. Nominal essence - 'Made by the mind and not by nature' Cookie cutter metaphor Real essence - Taken for the very being of any thing, whereby it is what it is' Fishnet metaphor. If you accept only properties - you can't accomodate change or that you can learn anything.
2.3. Individual Essence: What captures you into uniqueness. It is assumed that kinds fail to capture the being of a thing. Things are to be distinguished from the kinds they instantiate. But which properties are to be included in the individual set? What about twins? The distinction between 'this' and 'such' is fundamental to resolution - rules out possibility of individuality in purely property involving terms. This would be reducing the suchness and leaving the this unaccounted for.
3. Illiminating intolerable mysteries
3.1. Causation: The idea of necessary connection must be removed from the notion of causation for causation can be comprehended in terms of regularity. We can reject necessity being a separate something else which endorses the regularity theory if we allow that regularities are grounded in real necessities. There is a similar diagnosis to be applied to the problem of substance: There has been a tendency to treat substance as some further thing (unintelligible 'I know not what') But neither is it totally correct for the empiricists like Hume to say that all we are left with is a collection of sensible properties. Similar to causation we can allow that the properties we perceive already presuppose a thing to which they belong.
4. Substance
4.1. There are many ambiguities in the meaning of the philosophical use of the term substance. E.g. 1.Substance as a supporter of things - Substratum 2.Aristotelian Kinds of things - Primary (Plants, animals, persons) and secondary (Man, horse) 3.Individual Essence We need to be on our terminological toes here!
4.2. Greek words for being is Ousia which is derived from the verb 'to be' - substance has something to do with the being of beings.
