Sparber Unorthodox Humeanism

1. Auflage 2013
ISBN: 978-3-11-032398-6
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, Band 14, 226 Seiten

Reihe: LogosISSN

The book discusses contemporary metaphysics of science and deals with the central question which ontology fits best with our knowledge of the world. Two competing positions in today's metaphysics of science are analysed: Humeanism and dispositionalism. There are physical and metaphysical arguments to show that orthodox Humeanism is in trouble. The unorthodox metaphysical turn consists in taking the fundamental properties to be relations rather than intrinsic properties. The book spells out in detail what an unorthodox version of Humeanism amounts to and shows that in turning unorthodox Humeanism offers a competitive metaphysical framework for science without commitment to irreducible causation.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sparber, Georg

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Metaphysik, Ontologie
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften: Allgemeines Wissenschaften: Theorie, Epistemologie, Methodik
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Wissenschaftstheorie, Wissenschaftsphilosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;The nature of fundamental properties;11
2;Chapter 1 - Orthodox Humeanism on laws of nature andcausation;19
2.1;1.1 The ontology;20
2.2;1.2 Humean laws of nature;24
2.3;1.3 Humean laws of nature at work;27
2.4;1.4 Humean causation;35
2.4.1;1.4.1 The regularity theory;36
2.4.2;1.4.2 Counterfactual theories of causation;38
2.4.3;1.4.3 Counterfactual theories of causation amended;45
2.4.3.1;1.4.3.1 Preemption and causation as influence;45
2.4.3.2;1.4.3.2 The non-su ciency challenge: causation by omissions;52
2.4.3.3;1.4.3.3 The non-necessity challenge: no alterations available;54
2.4.4;1.4.4 Regular causation vs. counterfactual causation;57
2.4.5;1.4.5 Humean causation in the mental domain;64
3;Chapter 2 -

Orthodox dispositionalism on laws of natureand causation;71
3.1;2.1 The ontology;71
3.1.1;2.1.1 Metaphysical necessity;72
3.1.2;2.1.2 Defining dispositionalism and categorialism;74
3.1.3;2.1.3 The intrinsity of dispositions;78
3.1.4;2.1.4 Variations of dispositionalism;82
3.1.5;2.1.5 The prima facie plausibility of dispositionalism;86
3.2;2.2 The conceptual level of dispositional predicates;89
3.2.1;2.2.1 Semantic reductionism of dispositional predicates;89
3.2.1.1;2.2.1.1 Finkish dispositions;91
3.2.1.2;2.2.1.2 A counterfactual analysis for all predicates;97
3.2.1.3;2.2.1.3 Ontological elimination of dispositions;99
3.2.2;2.2.2 Counterfactuals for dispositionalists;100
3.3;2.3 Dispositionalist laws of nature;104
3.3.1;2.3.1 Strict laws of nature and ceteris paribus laws of nature;104
3.3.2;2.3.2 Probabilistic laws of nature;108
3.3.3;2.3.3 Truthmakers of uninstantiated laws of nature;112
4;Chapter 3 -

Humeanism vs. dispositionalism;117
4.1;3.1 Advantages of Humeanism;117
4.2;3.2 Challenges for Humeanism;120
4.2.1;3.2.1 Pre-philosophical intuitions against Humeanism;121
4.2.1.1;3.2.1.1 The status of Humean regularities;121
4.2.1.2;3.2.1.2 Humeanism and the dynamic world;125
4.2.2;3.2.2 Epistemological challenges;127
4.2.2.1;3.2.2.1 Explanation of regularities and property instances;128
4.2.2.2;3.2.2.2 Conservative reductionism;132
4.2.2.3;3.2.2.3 The ungrounded argument;141
4.2.2.4;3.2.2.4 The argument from humility;145
4.2.2.5;3.2.2.5 The argument from quidditism;148
5;Chapter 4 -

Unorthodox Humeanism;155
5.1;4.1 The unorthodox turn;157
5.1.1;4.1.1 Physical reasons in favour of an unorthodox ontology;159
5.1.2;4.1.2 The metaphysical principles of an unorthodox ontology;166
5.2;4.2 Humean and dispositionalist structural realism;173
5.3;4.3 Unorthodox Humean metaphysics of causation;178
5.3.1;4.3.1 Regularities and laws of nature in unorthodox Humeanism;179
5.3.2;4.3.2 Counterfactual accounts on causation in unorthodox Humeanism;183
5.4;4.4 The arguments against Humeanism in a new light;189
5.4.1;4.4.1 Quidditism;190
5.4.2;4.4.2 Humility;194
5.5;4.5 A new challenge for Humeanism: anti-realism;197
6;Humean metaphysics of causation asinformed of contemporary science;215
7;Bibliography;217
8;Index;227
9;Blank Page;8