What makes a chair a chair? This is a question that has been debated by philosophers for centuries. Plato believed that the world of forms was more real than the everyday world, which contains only imperfect copies. Lucretius argued that chairs are made of parts, and that they are composed of atoms. On the other hand, Plato argued that chairs don't actually exist at all, but that only humanity tries to label something that God has instilled in the human psyche.
So, what is it that makes a chair a chair? It is its ability to sit. A pouf can be a chair, as long as it has the same purpose as a chair. A bucket can also be used as a stool, a fish trap, or even a hat, but it cannot be used as a chair at the same time. The parts of the chair work together as a complete object, and without some of those key components, it would just be a bunch of pieces.
This balance allows the chair to be a solid unit. A stone can be used as a table, workbench, or an anvil when it is not used as a chair. A chair is defined as such when it is used for its intended purpose; otherwise, it is only based on someone's word. How do we humans instinctively know what chairs are? When do they teach us to know the difference between chairs and other furniture? The answer to this question lies in the imperfect copy of the shape of the chair.
It is this shape that participates in making something a chair. We have decided that this particular configuration of matter is used for this purpose. This is why we can place a book on this “chair” and now it would become a table. We can also sit at a table, on a stump or on a bed and now it was a chair. In conclusion, what makes something a chair is its ability to sit and its particular configuration of matter.
We have decided that this particular shape and use is what makes something a chair.
