The Metaphysics of Physics: Mixture and Separation in Empedocles and

Mixture and separation are obviously significant processes in the physical theories of Empedocles and Anaxagoras. But while recent work has discussed their roles in the emergence and disappearance of the qualities and structures of phenomenal entities, less attention has been paid to the natures of these processes themselves and the metaphysical assumptions with which they must be consistent.1 In this chapter I focus on the metaphysics of pluralist theories; I explore how mixture and separation allow the metaphysically basic entities to be projected into phenomena without undergoing the fundamental change that would violate the Eleatic principles accepted by both Anaxagoras and Empedocles.