The Structure of Gunk: Adventures in the Ontology of Space
Jeffrey Sanford Russell · 2008
Abstract Here are two ways space might be (not the only two): (1) Space is ‘pointy ‘. Every finite region has infinitely many infinitesimal, indivisible parts, called points. Points are zero-dimensional atoms of space. In addition to points, there are other kinds of ‘thin ‘ boundary regions, like surfaces of spheres. Some regions include their boundaries— the closed regions — others exclude them — the open regions— and others include some bits of boundary and exclude others. Moreover, space includes unextended regions whose size is zero. (2) Space is ‘gunky ‘. Every region contains still smaller regions— there are no spatial atoms. Every region is ‘thick ‘— there are no boundary regions. Every region is extended.