Burke’s “Preserving the Principle of One Object to a Place”

What is Burke’s view? Are there ever coinciding objects? What exactly do we mean by ‘coinciding’?

An artist takes a piece of copper and hammers it into a statue. How many objects are involved in this story, and of what type(s) are they?

What are the advantages of Burke’s view?

What are the disadvantages of Burke’s view, either that he himself discusses or that you see on your own?

Terminology notes

A sort is just what it sounds like, viz., the type of thing something is. A sortal is a word, a word that refers to a type of thing. An object belongs to one or more types; for example, Michelangelo’s David is a statue. The word ‘statue’ refers to this type.

The essential conditions of a thing are the conditions which are necessary for that thing’s existence. A statue, e.g., must have a certain shape that is given to it intentionally by someone. A piece of copper, in contrast, can have any old shape.