Combining Philosophers
Ideas for Dennis Whitcomb, John Heil and Neil E. Williams
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17 ideas
7. Existence / B. Change in Existence / 1. Nature of Change
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23783
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Change exists, it is causal, and it needs an explanation [Williams,NE]
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7. Existence / B. Change in Existence / 2. Processes
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23784
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Processes don't begin or end; they just change direction unexpectedly [Williams,NE]
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23790
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Processes are either strings of short unchanging states, or continuous and unreducible events [Williams,NE]
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7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 2. Reduction
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7017
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The reductionist programme dispenses with levels of reality [Heil]
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18539
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Our categories lack the neat arrangement needed for reduction [Heil]
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7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 3. Levels of Reality
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4616
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A higher level is 'supervenient' if it is determined by lower levels, but has its own natural laws [Heil]
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7003
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There are levels of organisation, complexity, description and explanation, but not of reality [Heil]
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 1. Ontologies
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23786
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The status quo is part of what exists, and so needs metaphysical explanation [Williams,NE]
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23768
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A metaphysic is a set of wider explanations derived from a basic ontology [Williams,NE]
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23773
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Humeans say properties are passive, possibility is vast, laws are descriptions, causation is weak [Williams,NE]
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23779
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We shouldn't posit the existence of anything we have a word for [Williams,NE]
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 2. Realism
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7045
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Realism says some of our concepts 'cut nature at the joints' [Heil]
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 4. Anti-realism
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7065
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Anti-realists who reduce reality to language must explain the existence of language [Heil]
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / d. Commitment of theories
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18505
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Fundamental ontology aims at the preconditions for any true theory [Heil]
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / e. Ontological commitment problems
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18499
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Our quantifications only reveal the truths we accept; the ontology and truthmakers are another matter [Heil]
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7. Existence / E. Categories / 4. Category Realism
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18512
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Ontology aims to give the fundamental categories of being [Heil]
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7. Existence / E. Categories / 5. Category Anti-Realism
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7020
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Concepts don't carve up the world, which has endless overlooked or ignored divisions [Heil]
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