Abstract

Collecting is one of the most widespread cultural practices in the world; which, similar to art – already the subject of a long tradition of philosophical studies – has given rise to the most various creations over the centuries. This refers not only to the countless types of objects that have been the focus of collections but, above all, to the object that constitutes their most defining production: the collection itself, collectively understood as an unparalleled artifact. But from a metaphysical point of view, what is a collection? Starting from the peculiar relationship between a collection and the objects that compose it, in this article we will investigate the essence that distinguishes a collection from any other type of set or gathering of objects. The answer to the question “what is a collection?” will thus culminate in the outline of a specific theory, the abstract artifactualism of collections.