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Full Idea
A metaphysic is what you get when you embed a fundamental ontology within a larger metaphysical framework by repeatedly appealing to elements of that ontology in explaining metaphysical phenomena. …Only then do you see what the ontology is worth.
Gist of Idea
A metaphysic is a set of wider explanations derived from a basic ontology
Source
Neil E. Williams (The Powers Metaphysics [2019], 01.1)
Book Ref
Williams,Neil E.: 'The Powers Metaphysics' [OUP 2019], p.2
A Reaction
Confirming my mantra that metaphysics is an explanatory activity. I think it is important that the ontology includes relations (such as 'determinations'), and is not just an inventory of types of entity.
Related Idea
Idea 23769 Promoting an ontology by its implied good metaphysic is an 'argument-by-display' [Williams,NE]
| 22979 | Three main questions seem to be whether a thing is, what it is, and what sort it is [Augustine] |
| 13933 | Existence questions are 'internal' (within a framework) or 'external' (concerning the whole framework) [Carnap] |
| 6523 | Positivists regard ontology as either meaningless or stipulated [Ayer, by Robinson,H] |
| 12210 | Quine's ontology is wrong; his question is scientific, and his answer is partly philosophical [Fine,K on Quine] |
| 12320 | Ontology is (and always has been) Cantorian mathematics [Badiou] |
| 7679 | Ontology is the same as the conceptual foundations of logic [Jacquette] |
| 12217 | For ontology we need, not internal or external views, but a view from outside reality [Fine,K] |
| 14594 | Ontologists seek existence and identity conditions, and modal and epistemic status for a thing [Swoyer] |
| 3517 | 'Ontology' means 'study of things which exist' [Maslin] |
| 4474 | Existence theories must match experience, possibility, logic and knowledge, and not be self-defeating [Moreland] |
| 13925 | Ontology disputes rest on more basic explanation disputes [Haslanger] |
| 23768 | A metaphysic is a set of wider explanations derived from a basic ontology [Williams,NE] |
| 23773 | Humeans say properties are passive, possibility is vast, laws are descriptions, causation is weak [Williams,NE] |
| 23779 | We shouldn't posit the existence of anything we have a word for [Williams,NE] |
| 23786 | The status quo is part of what exists, and so needs metaphysical explanation [Williams,NE] |