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Single Idea 13734

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

Full Idea

On the now dominant Quinean view, metaphysics is about what there is (such as properties, meanings and numbers). I will argue for the revival of a more traditional Aristotelian view, on which metaphysics is about what grounds what.

Gist of Idea

Modern Quinean metaphysics is about what exists, but Aristotelian metaphysics asks about grounding

Source

Jonathan Schaffer (On What Grounds What [2009], Intro)

Book Ref

'Metametaphysics', ed/tr. Chalmers/Manley/Wasserman [OUP 2009], p.347

A Reaction

I find that an enormously helpful distinction, and support the Aristotelian view. Schaffer's general line is that what exists is fairly uncontroversial and dull, but the interesting truths about the world emerge when we grasp its structure.

Related Idea

Idea 13735 Aristotle discusses fundamental units of being, rather than existence questions [Aristotle, by Schaffer,J]

The 28 ideas with the same theme [nature of the most abstract philosophy]:

11193 Understanding begins with the notion of being and essence [Avicenna]
12124 Metaphysics is the best knowledge, because it is the simplest [Bacon]
9438 Maybe analysis seeks the 'nominal essence', and metaphysics seeks the 'real essence' [Locke, by Mumford]
13086 Metaphysics is a science of the intelligible nature of being [Leibniz, by Cover/O'Leary-Hawthorne]
21954 Metaphysics is a systematic account of everything that can be known a priori [Kant]
16931 Metaphysics is generating a priori knowledge by intuition and concepts, leading to the synthetic [Kant]
15631 The ideal of reason is the unification of abstract identity (or 'concept') and being [Hegel]
16011 Hegel doesn't storm the heavens like the giants, but works his way up by syllogisms [Kierkegaard on Hegel]
19218 Metaphysics is pointless without exact modern logic [Peirce]
19638 Metaphysics is a universalisation of physical anguish [Cioran]
13736 Quinean metaphysics just lists the beings, which is a domain with no internal structure [Schaffer,J on Quine]
7920 Descriptive metaphysics aims at actual structure, revisionary metaphysics at a better structure [Strawson,P]
14611 Metaphysics should avoid talk of past, present or future [Smart]
12667 Metaphysics aims at the simplest explanation, without regard to testability [Ellis]
16440 I don't think Lewis's cost-benefit reflective equilibrium approach offers enough guidance [Stalnaker]
21959 Metaphysics is the most general attempt to make sense of things [Moore,AW]
11912 Substantive metaphysics says what a property is, not what a predicate means [Molnar]
3358 Metaphysics focuses on Platonism, essentialism, materialism and anti-realism [Benardete,JA]
10468 A metaphysics has an ontology (objects) and an ideology (expressed ideas about them) [Oliver]
14250 Metaphysics deals with the existence of things and with the nature of things [Fine,K]
16414 Science needs metaphysics to weed out its presuppositions [Lowe, by Hofweber]
9414 Metaphysics is the mapping of possibilities [Lowe, by Mumford]
19275 You cannot understand what exists without understanding possibility and necessity [Hale]
21634 Metaphysics is (supposedly) first the ontology, then in general what things are like [Hofweber]
13734 Modern Quinean metaphysics is about what exists, but Aristotelian metaphysics asks about grounding [Schaffer,J]
24069 Much metaphysical debate concerns what is fundamental, rather than what exists [Koslicki]
18859 Metaphysics is a quest for truthmakers [Tallant]
17266 Using modal logic, philosophers tried to handle all metaphysics in modal terms [Correia/Schnieder]