Saturday, August 21, 2004

Category: Science & Metaphysics

Reality:


Ontology:
  • Ontological Commitment - Looks at Quine's formulation of ontological commitment, and how it allows us to talk of (e.g.) Pegasus without implying there is some existing thing (Pegasus) that we are talking about.

  • Gappy Objects - is the fusion/sum of {apple + Mars} any less a single metaphysical object than the fusion of atoms that constitute the apple by itself? If so, what sets common-sense objects apart?

  • Universals Overview - surveys the various positions in the 'universals debate'.

  • Identity, Properties & Reduction - something I found puzzling

  • Conceptual Nominalism - includes a basic overview of the universals debate in metaphysics, before I outline my own ideas on the matter.

  • An introduction and defence of trope theory

  • Lewis and im/possible worlds nominalism - discusses possible worlds nominalism, a problem with it, and a possible solution involving impossible worlds.

  • An introduction to the particulars debate, with an emphasis on Bundle Theory, including the "identity of indiscernibles" objection.

  • Mixed Metaphysics - Arguing that we can have reality (scientifically-informed metaphysics), or common-sense ('folk' metaphysics), but they shouldn't be confused.


Science:


Related Topics: For posts on free will, philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and related technology, see the Mind / CogSci category.

The topics of truth, modality, and fiction, can be found under Logic & Semantics.

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