 The unity-question arises on a conception that takes states of affairs to be ontologically dependent entities. Take the state of affairs Aristotle’s being wise. It ontologically depends on Aristotle and being wise. So do the ordered pair \(\langle\)Aristotle, being wise\(\rangle\) and the mereological sum of Aristotle and being wise. What distinguishes them? If we follow Fine, the answer will invoke an operation that “generates” the entities in question. States of affairs are generated by predication, ordered pairs by another operation.