Event Composition and Event Individuation

This chapter explores a consequence of Davidson’s (1967) foundational hypothesis that events are in some nontrivial way similar to individuals: just as an individual can form part of a larger individual, an event can form part of a larger event. This implies that events may be composed of multiple smaller events. The chapter addresses two related questions: First, what are the logical underpinnings of the relationship between events and their parts? Second, how do we recognize, or individuate, events? Both of these are addressed through the lens of parallels with the domain of individuals. With respect to the first, the chapter summarizes foundational work by Link and others on mereological relations between events and individuals. With respect to the second, it proposes that events can be individuated in different ways, depending on whether they are perceived as purely physical, as intentional, or other.