more from this thinker     |     more from this text

Single Idea 21666

[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 7. Against Metaphysics ]

Full Idea

The dilemma of neo-Aristotelian metaphysics is that on an ordinary reading of prioriy, 'fundamentality' won't give the intended results, and on a metaphysical reading it turns into esoteric metaphysics.

Gist of Idea

'Fundamentality' is either a superficial idea, or much too obscure

Source

Thomas Hofweber (Ontology and the Ambitions of Metaphysics [2016], 13.4.2)

Book Ref

Hofweber,Thomas: 'Ontology and the Ambitions of Metaphysics' [OUP 2018], p.330

A Reaction

Hofweber is hostile to 'esoteric' metaphysics, but sympathetic to 'egalitarian' metaphysics, which anyone can understand (with a bit of effort).

The 14 ideas with the same theme [rejections of metaphysics as a worthwhile activity]:

12767 Kant exposed the illusions of reason in the Transcendental Dialectic [Kant, by Fraassen]
3301 On the continent it is generally believed that metaphysics died with Hegel [Benardete,JA on Hegel]
14767 The demonstrations of the metaphysicians are all moonshine [Peirce]
14860 Kant has undermined our belief in metaphysics [Nietzsche]
6864 Metaphysics is finding bad reasons for instinctive beliefs [Bradley]
13737 The empiricist says that metaphysics is meaningless, rather than false [Schlick]
16252 Metaphysics uses empty words, or just produces pseudo-statements [Carnap]
7919 Humeans rejected the a priori synthetic, and so rejected even Kantian metaphysics [Ayer, by Macdonald,C]
12325 Philosophy has been relieved of physics, cosmology, politics, and now must give up ontology [Badiou]
15054 'Quietist' says abandon metaphysics because answers are unattainable (as in Kant's noumenon) [Fine,K]
17713 After 1903, Husserl avoids metaphysical commitments [Mares]
16276 Wide metaphysical possibility may reduce metaphysics to analysis of fantasies [Maudlin]
16413 Science has discovered properties of things, so there are properties - so who needs metaphysics? [Hofweber]
21666 'Fundamentality' is either a superficial idea, or much too obscure [Hofweber]