Omnis negatio est determinatio La cuestión de los universales negativos

Most defenders of ‘sparse’ properties reject negative universals. Sparse properties are those that ground objective resemblances and causal powers in the objects in which they are instantiated. It seems that negative properties are causally inert and can be shared by wildly heterogeneous objects, so one should not accept them. Under a closer examination, nevertheless, the objections are not so convincing. Absences can be the ground of objective resemblances, can be perceived, can be projected for inductive inferences, and can appear in nomological relations. Some have even maintained that absences can be causes and effects. It is argued here that negative universals are forms of representation of the location of properties in ‘spaces of determination’ of mutually incompatible properties. The instantiations of negative universals are grounded in the instantiation of positive universals. Objects that instantiate negative universals have the causal powers that correspond to their position in the relevant space of determination.