Metaphysics: a Contemporary Introduction: Third Edition
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The Universe, Life and Everything…
Our current understanding of our world is nearly 350 years old. Durston It stems from the ideas of Descartes and Newton and has brought us many great things, including modern science and & increases in wealth, health and everyday living standards. Baggerman Furthermore, it is so engrained in our daily lives that we have forgotten it is a paradigm, not fact. However, there are some problems with it: first, there is no satisfactory explanation for why we have consciousness and experience meaning in our The lives. Second, modern-day physics tells us that observations Universe, depend on characteristics of the observer at the large, cosmic Dialogues on and small, subatomic scales. Third, the ongoing humanitarian and environmental crises show us that our world is vastly The interconnected. Our understanding of reality is expanding to Universe, incorporate these issues. In The Universe, Life and Everything... our Changing Dialogues on our Changing Understanding of Reality, some of the scholars at the forefront of this change discuss the direction it is taking and its urgency. Life Understanding Life and and Sarah Durston is Professor of Developmental Disorders of the Brain at the University Medical Centre Utrecht, and was at the Everything of Reality Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in 2016/2017. Ton Baggerman is an economic psychologist and psychotherapist in Tilburg. Everything ISBN978-94-629-8740-1 AUP.nl 9789462 987401 Sarah Durston and Ton Baggerman The Universe, Life and Everything… The Universe, Life and Everything… Dialogues on our Changing Understanding of Reality Sarah Durston and Ton Baggerman AUP Contact information for authors Sarah Durston: [email protected] Ton Baggerman: [email protected] Cover design: Suzan Beijer grafisch ontwerp, Amersfoort Lay-out: Crius Group, Hulshout Amsterdam University Press English-language titles are distributed in the US and Canada by the University of Chicago Press. -
Representation and Metaphysics Proper
Richard B. Wells ©2006 CHAPTER 4 First Epilegomenon: Representation and Metaphysics Proper The pursuit of wisdom has had a two-fold origin. Diogenes Laertius § 1. Questions Raised by Representation The outline of representation presented in Chapter 3 leaves us with a number of questions we need to address. In this chapter we will take a look back at our ideas of representation and work toward the resolution of those issues that present themselves in consequence of the theory as it stands so far. I call this look back an epilegomenon, from epi – which means “over” or “upon” – and legein – “to speak.” I employ this new term because the English language seems to have no word that adequately expresses the task at hand. “Epilogue” would imply logical conclusion, while “summary” or “epitome” would suggest a simple re-hashing of what has already been said. Our present task is more than this; we must bring out the implications of representation, Critically examine the gaps in the representation model, and attempt to unite its aggregate pieces as a system. In doing so, our aim is to push farther toward “that which is clearer by nature” although we should not expect to arrive at this destination all in one lunge. Let this be my apology for this minor act of linguistic tampering.1 In particular, Chapter 3 saw the introduction of three classes of ideas that are addressed by the division of nous in its role as the agent of construction for representations. We described these ideas as ideas of the act of representing. -
The Synergy Between Philosophy and Science, Need of the Contemporary Society
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research ISSN: 2455-2070; Impact Factor: RJIF 5.22 Received: 11-11-2019; Accepted: 12-12-2019 www.socialsciencejournal.in Volume 6; Issue 1; January 2020; Page No. 45-51 The Synergy between Philosophy and Science, need of the contemporary society Kabita Das1*, Biswaranjan Paital2 1 PG Department of Philosophy, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India 2 Redox Regulation Laboratory, Department of Zoology, College of Basic Science and Humanities, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology Bhubaneswar, India Abstract What the world will be like in the foreseeable future is a matter of concern for everyone, no matter how far removed the human is from scientific work, political struggle, or revolutionary moment. What is in store for man: the holocaust of war, or a peaceful life? What will the earth be like? Will nature survive or will it be annihilated as a result of scientific and technical progress? Will oppression and social injustice disappear from the world, or will they persist forever? These are general questions confronting each person living on society. However, is it possible to resolve above and all other social issues by only social science approaches, is the central story of this article. Social science is pre-dominated with predictable analyses while science is empirical. Humanities are academic disciplines that deal with the study on the aspects and issues of human society and culture, whereas, science is a systematic innovativeness that builds and organizes information in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universal phenomena including social issues. -
Advances in Theoretical & Computational Physics
ISSN: 2639-0108 Research Article Advances in Theoretical & Computational Physics Supreme Theory of Everything Ulaanbaatar Tarzad *Corresponding author Ulaanbaatar Tarzad, Department of Physics, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Physics, School of Applied Sciences, Mongolian Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, University of Science and Technology E-mail: [email protected] Submitted: 27 Mar 2019; Accepted: 24 Apr 2019; Published: 06 June 2019 Abstract Not only universe, but everything has general characters as eternal, infinite, cyclic and wave-particle duality. Everything from elementary particles to celestial bodies, from electromagnetic wave to gravity is in eternal motions, which dissects only to circle. Since everything is described only by trigonometry. Without trigonometry and mathematical circle, the science cannot indicate all the beauty of harmonic universe. Other method may be very good, but it is not perfect. Some part is very nice, another part is problematic. General Theory of Relativity holds that gravity is geometric. Quantum Mechanics describes all particles by wave function of trigonometry. In this paper using trigonometry, particularly mathematics circle, a possible version of the unification of partial theories, evolution history and structure of expanding universe, and the parallel universes are shown. Keywords: HRD, Trigonometry, Projection of Circle, Singularity, The reality of universe describes by geometry, because of that not Celestial Body, Black Hole and Parallel Universes. only gravity is geometrical, but everything is it and nothing is linear. One of the important branches of geometry is trigonometry dealing Introduction with circle and triangle. For this reason, it is easier to describe nature Today scientists describe the universe in terms of two basic partial of universe by mathematics circle. -
The Problem of Universals in Contemporary Philosophy∗ Scuola Normale Superiore [Pisa - July 5, 2010]
93 Reportage 7 novembre 2010 International conference on Ontology The problem of universals in contemporary philosophy∗ Scuola Normale Superiore [Pisa - July 5, 2010] Gianmarco Brunialti Masera Overview The three-day conference opened in the afternoon of July, 5 and, after taking a quick look at the programme and the names of the important thinkers standing out on it, one could have expected to find a crowded audience room. Actually that was not quite the case. What I could afford to follow and am going to write about here is only the first day of the conference. The debate started right on time, after a short introduction given by Gabriele Galluzzo, both organizer of the conference and member of the scientific board. I would ac- tually like to underline the word debate: each speech (about 40 minutes) was immediately followed by a short discussion of the issues introduced by the proponent. Unfortunately, de- spite of the accurate and punctual speeches, the little time dedicated to each is what most penalized the conference, in my opinion: this inevitably obliged both the speakers and the audience to be plunged in medias res, without standing too much on ceremonies. I take this to be ‘penalizing’, considering the debate on universals is a very wide one and composed by an incredibly great number of positions which can sometimes start from oppo- site sides and some other times depart at some specific middle point of one single theory of properties and relations. Moreover, most (if not all) of them entail a certain number of other metaphysical themes from which the specific problematics of universals cannot be cut off. -
What Is Philosophy.Pdf
I N T R O D U C T I O N What Is Philosophy? CHAPTER 1 The Task of Philosophy CHAPTER OBJECTIVES Reflection—thinking things over—. [is] the beginning of philosophy.1 In this chapter we will address the following questions: N What Does “Philosophy” Mean? N Why Do We Need Philosophy? N What Are the Traditional Branches of Philosophy? N Is There a Basic Method of Philo- sophical Thinking? N How May Philosophy Be Used? N Is Philosophy of Education Useful? N What Is Happening in Philosophy Today? The Meanings Each of us has a philos- “having” and “doing”—cannot be treated en- ophy, even though we tirely independent of each other, for if we did of Philosophy may not be aware of not have a philosophy in the formal, personal it. We all have some sense, then we could not do a philosophy in the ideas concerning physical objects, our fellow critical, reflective sense. persons, the meaning of life, death, God, right Having a philosophy, however, is not suffi- and wrong, beauty and ugliness, and the like. Of cient for doing philosophy. A genuine philo- course, these ideas are acquired in a variety sophical attitude is searching and critical; it is of ways, and they may be vague and confused. open-minded and tolerant—willing to look at all We are continuously engaged, especially during sides of an issue without prejudice. To philoso- the early years of our lives, in acquiring views phize is not merely to read and know philoso- and attitudes from our family, from friends, and phy; there are skills of argumentation to be mas- from various other individuals and groups. -
An Introduction to Philosophy
An Introduction to Philosophy W. Russ Payne Bellevue College Copyright (cc by nc 4.0) 2015 W. Russ Payne Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document with attribution under the terms of Creative Commons: Attribution Noncommercial 4.0 International or any later version of this license. A copy of the license is found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ 1 Contents Introduction ………………………………………………. 3 Chapter 1: What Philosophy Is ………………………….. 5 Chapter 2: How to do Philosophy ………………….……. 11 Chapter 3: Ancient Philosophy ………………….………. 23 Chapter 4: Rationalism ………….………………….……. 38 Chapter 5: Empiricism …………………………………… 50 Chapter 6: Philosophy of Science ………………….…..… 58 Chapter 7: Philosophy of Mind …………………….……. 72 Chapter 8: Love and Happiness …………………….……. 79 Chapter 9: Meta Ethics …………………………………… 94 Chapter 10: Right Action ……………………...…………. 108 Chapter 11: Social Justice …………………………...…… 120 2 Introduction The goal of this text is to present philosophy to newcomers as a living discipline with historical roots. While a few early chapters are historically organized, my goal in the historical chapters is to trace a developmental progression of thought that introduces basic philosophical methods and frames issues that remain relevant today. Later chapters are topically organized. These include philosophy of science and philosophy of mind, areas where philosophy has shown dramatic recent progress. This text concludes with four chapters on ethics, broadly construed. I cover traditional theories of right action in the third of these. Students are first invited first to think about what is good for themselves and their relationships in a chapter of love and happiness. Next a few meta-ethical issues are considered; namely, whether they are moral truths and if so what makes them so. -
The Theory of Everything
The Theory of Everything R. B. Laughlin* and David Pines†‡§ *Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305; †Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter, University of California Office of the President, Oakland, CA 94607; ‡Science and Technology Center for Superconductivity, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801; and §Los Alamos Neutron Science Center Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 Contributed by David Pines, November 18, 1999 We discuss recent developments in our understanding of matter, we have learned why atoms have the size they do, why chemical broadly construed, and their implications for contemporary re- bonds have the length and strength they do, why solid matter has search in fundamental physics. the elastic properties it does, why some things are transparent while others reflect or absorb light (6). With a little more he Theory of Everything is a term for the ultimate theory of experimental input for guidance it is even possible to predict Tthe universe—a set of equations capable of describing all atomic conformations of small molecules, simple chemical re- phenomena that have been observed, or that will ever be action rates, structural phase transitions, ferromagnetism, and observed (1). It is the modern incarnation of the reductionist sometimes even superconducting transition temperatures (7). ideal of the ancient Greeks, an approach to the natural world that But the schemes for approximating are not first-principles has been fabulously successful in bettering the lot of mankind deductions but are rather art keyed to experiment, and thus tend and continues in many people’s minds to be the central paradigm to be the least reliable precisely when reliability is most needed, of physics. -
Musings on the Theory of Everything and Reality (PDF)
Lecture Notes 7: Musings on the Theory of Everything and Reality 1 Is a \Theory of Everything" Even Possible? In Lecture Notes 6, I described the ongoing quest of theoretical physicists to day in uncovering the “theory of everything” that describes Nature. Nobody knows yet what that theory is — it would have to somehow reconcile the conflict between quantum theory and general relativity, i.e., it would have to be a theory of “quantum gravity” — but people are certainly trying, and many optimistic people even feel that we’re “almost there.” I personally have no idea if we’re close at all, because I am definitely not an expert on any candidate theory of quantum gravity. However, I do feel that we’ve come a long way in the past 100 years. And, when I marvel at the progress we’ve made, it makes me feel that, some day, we will finally have the correct theory of quantum gravity. Whether that day is 50 years from now or 500 years I won’t try to guess. But it seems like we can understand the Universe. In deed, as Einstein once mused: “The most incomprehensible thing about the Universe is that it is comprehensible.” But is the Universe really comprehensible? We can certainly understand aspects of the Universe today, but could we someday understand everything about it? The prospect of understanding everything — not only the laws of physics, but also the state of every single object in the (possibly infinite) Universe — probably seems rather bleak. After all, we humans are only only small, finite systems in an incredibly vast (possibly infinite) Universe, so maybe complete knowledge of every system in the Universe is impossible to attain. -
A Theory of Everything? Vol
Cultural Studies BOOK REVIEW Review A Theory of Everything? Vol. 24, No. 2 Steven Umbrello 2018 Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies Corresponding author: Steven Umbrello, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, 35 Harbor Point Blvd, #404, Boston, MA 02125-3242 USA, [email protected] DOI: https://doi.org/10.5130/csr.v24i1.6318 Article History: Received 04/05/2018; Revised 02/07/2018; Accepted 23/07/2018; Published 28/11/2018 As someone educated in the analytic tradition of philosophy, I find myself strangely drawn to Graham Harman’s Object-Oriented Ontology: A New Theory of Everything, which is firmly situated within the continental tradition that is often avoided in my neck of the philosophical woods as overly poetic. My initial exposure to continental thought did not come from reading © 2018 by the author(s). This Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre or Merleau-Ponty, however, it came from reading Timothy Morton, is an Open Access article whoworks at the intersection of object-oriented thought and ecology. Heavily laden with distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons allusions and references to works of fiction,h istorical events and people, Morton’sstyle was, Attribution 4.0 International to me, almost inaccessible andrequired considerable effort to understand even the shortest of (CC BY 4.0) License (https:// phrases.Still, I found something of serious worth within what remains a revolutionary and creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), allowing third parties somewhat shadowy corner of philosophy, now known as object-oriented -
Predication and the Problem of Universals Catherine Legg
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Research Commons@Waikato Philosophical Papers Vol. 30, No. 2 (July 2001): 117-143 Predication and the Problem of Universals Catherine Legg Abstract: This paper contrasts the scholastic realists of David Armstrong and Charles Peirce. It is argued that the so-called 'problem of universals' is not a problem in pure ontology (concerning whether universals exist) as Armstrong construes it to be. Rather, it extends to issues concerning which predicates should be applied where, issues which Armstrong sets aside under the label of 'semantics', and which from a Peircean perspective encompass even the fundamentals of scientific methodology. It is argued that Peir ce's scholastic realism not only presents a more nuanced ontology (distinguishing the existent front the real) but also provides more of a sense of why realism should be a position worth fighting for. ... a realist is simply one who knows no more recondite reality than that which is represented in a true representation. C.S. Peirce Like many other philosophical problems, the grandly-named 'Problem of Universals' is difficult to define without begging the question that it raises. Laurence Goldstein, however, provides a helpful hands-off denotation of the problem by noting that it proceeds from what he calls The Trivial Obseruation:2 The observation is the seemingly incontrovertible claim that, 'sometimes some things have something in common'. The 1 Philosophical Writings of Peirce, ed. Justus Buehler (New York: Dover Publications, 1955), 248. 2 Laurence Goldstein, 'Scientific Scotism – The Emperor's New Trousers or Has Armstrong Made Some Real Strides?', Australasian Journal of Philosophy, vol 61, No. -
Trope Theory, Resemblance, and Russell's Regress
Trope Theory, Resemblance, and Russell's Regress Florian Boge 12.07.2012 Structure • Introduction – what are tropes? – Nominalism about universals – Bundle theory – A refinement: nucleus theory • Similarity relations – A trope theoretical measure for relative resemblance • The resemblance regress – a fundamental problem for trope theory – Is it vicious? – Similarity as internal – A cognitivist approach as a possible solution • Perfect resemblance defined What are tropes? • Definition: Tropes are the particular properties (property instances) of a given concrete entity (cf. Campbell 1990, 18). They are abstract particulars. – Relatons = polyadic tropes – Qualitons = monadic tropes (cf. Bacon 2008, 2) • An entity is called abstract (in this context) iff. it is a part of some other entity, which can only be separated in thought (cf. Rojek 2008, 361). • Particulars (indviduals) = entities which only exist in one place at one time (interval) Spacio-temproal location as an important criterion for individuality according to trope theory: “[O]ur abstract particulars are particulars because they have a local habitation, even if no name. They exist as individuals at unique place- times.” (Campbell 1990, 3) What are tropes? • Examples: – The particular shape of a given chair – Bill Clinton‟s eloquence – „This redness‟, in contrast to „redness‟ in general • Supposed to provide an alternative to realism about universals Trope theory is a form of nominalism about universals Needs to explain our use of general terms Should be able to explain every day life‟s entities such as things, their appearance, their relations etc. Nominalism about universals • Nominalism about universals = attempt to provide an explanation of general terms (i.e. terms for types, properties, relations etc.) without appeal to universals • Universals = entities that are multiply exemplified i.e.