OntologyIn the first part of the book, Dale Jacquette explores questions of pure philosophical ontology: what is meant by the concept of being, why does something exist rather than nothing, and why there is only one logically contingent actual world. The author argues that logic provides the only possible answers to these fundamental problems of pure ontology. In the second part of the book Jacquette examines issues of applied scientific ontology and provides a critical survey of some of the most influential traditional ontologies, such as the distinction between appearance and reality and the categories of substance and transcendence. The ontology of physical entities - space, time, matter, and causation - are examined as well as the ontology of abstract entities - sets, numbers, properties, relations, and propositions. The special problems posed by the subjectivity of mind and of God are also explored. The book concludes with a chapter on the ontology of culture, language, and art. |
Contents
Being as such | 1 |
Combinatorial ontology | 42 |
Why there is something rather than nothing | 89 |
Concepts of existence in philosophical logic and | 134 |
Applied ontology and the metaphysics of science | 157 |
Appearance reality substance transcendence | 183 |
space time matter and causation | 193 |
numbers | 206 |
facts | 233 |
God a divine supernatural mind? | 253 |
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Common terms and phrases
actual world exists actually existent entities affairs answer the question applied ontology applied scientific ontology causal circularity combinatorial analysis combinatorial ontology combinatorial pure philosophical concept consider consistent proposition sets consistent states-of-affairs combination Da-sein distinct ence explain extant domain Heidegger Heidegger's logical objects logically necessary logically possible combinations logically possible objects logically possible properties logically possible world mathematical maximally consistent property maximally consistent proposition maximally consistent states-of-affairs means merely logically possible metaphysics mind modal logic modal semantics model set-theoretical non-actual merely logically numbers objects and properties Ockham's razor ontic sciences ontic status ontically neutral ontological commitments particular phenomenology physical entities predication subjects predicational completeness predicationally incomplete preferred existence domain property dualism pure logic pure philosophical ontology qualia qualia and intentionality quantum quantum indeterminacy Quine Quine's reason relations sense sentences spacetime spatiotemporal submaximally consistent substance substance dualism supervenience supposed theory things Third Man Argument thought tion transcendent
References to this book
The Social Science Jargon Buster: The Key Terms You Need to Know Zina O'Leary Limited preview - 2007 |