The Square of Disposition

I propose a classification of dispositions according to two parameters: (i) whether their argument is a causer, and (ii) whether they are (almost) always realized or only sometimes realized. This results in a four way distinction, which I represent as the Square of Disposition. Each cell of this square corresponds to a different type of disposition; I show that each such type is expressed by a distinct linguistic expression. This correspondence between philosophy-based and linguistics-based distinctions shows the potential usefulness of linguistic considerations in philosophical debates.