Atomism, Event, Exchange

'Atomism' is any system in which each constituent is either a simple, discrete element, or an association of such elements. Now, 'Atom' can be either an Ontological, a Nominal, or a methodological category. Notably illustrating the first contrast is Chemistry, in which erstwhile Ontological Atoms, e. g. Hydrogen, Helium, etc., have, with the discovery of 'sub-atomic' particles, become merely Nominal, while the search for Ontological Atoms, i. e. fundamental particles, continues. An example of the contrast between the first and the third categories is in British Empiricism, in which a Sense-Datum is originally a methodological atom, but soon becomes Ontological, e. g. Hume's definition of a 'Self' as a 'bundle of perceptions'. Now, traditionally, Atoms have been entities, e. g. particles, people, etc., but one of Wittgenstein's innovations is the introduction of the Proposition as the Atom of the Tractatus, corresponding to which are the State-of-Affairs, and the Event, in other systems. So, while, the Atom of Capitalism is often conceived to be an individual person, Smith plainly establishes his system as an Event Atomism, in which the Exchange is the basic element.