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Single Idea 14940

[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 4. Metaphysics as Science ]

Full Idea

There is little positive by way of implications for metaphysics that we can adduce from cutting-edge physics.

Gist of Idea

Cutting-edge physics has little to offer metaphysics

Source

J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 3.7.2)

Book Ref

Ladyman,J/Ross,D: 'Every Thing Must Go' [OUP 2007], p.174


A Reaction

My personal suspicion is that this will always be the case, even though there may be huge advances in physics, and I offer that as a reason why metaphysicians do not (pace Ladyman and Ross) need to study physics. They grasp 'negative' lessons.


The 25 ideas with the same theme [metaphysics as physical science at the highest level]:

Natural history supports physical knowledge, which supports metaphysical knowledge [Bacon]
Metaphysics is the roots of the tree of science [Descartes]
I am just an under-labourer, clearing the ground in preparation for knowledge [Locke]
Leibniz tried to combine mechanistic physics with scholastic metaphysics [Leibniz, by Pasnau]
Metaphysics must understand the world thoroughly, as a principal source of knowledge [Schopenhauer]
Metaphysics rests on observations, but ones so common we hardly notice them [Peirce]
Physicists accept particles, points and instants, while pretending they don't do metaphysics [Russell]
The business of metaphysics is to describe the world [Russell]
Quine rejects Carnap's view that science and philosophy are distinct [Quine, by Boulter]
Philosophy is largely concerned with finding the minimum that science could get by with [Quine]
Quine's naturalistic and empirical view is based entirely on first-order logic and set theory [Quine, by Mautner]
Ontology is highly abstract physics, containing placeholders and exclusions [Martin,CB]
The aim of 'post-metaphysical' philosophy is to interpret the sciences [Habermas, by Finlayson]
Ontology should give insight into or an explanation of the world revealed by science [Ellis]
Metaphysics is concerned with the fundamental structure of reality as a whole [Lowe]
Metaphysics is not about what exists or is true or essential; it is about the structure of reality [Sider]
Extreme doubts about metaphysics also threaten to undermine the science of unobservables [Sider]
The metaphysics of nature should focus on physics [Maudlin]
Metaphysics builds consilience networks across science [Ladyman/Ross]
Progress in metaphysics must be tied to progress in science [Ladyman/Ross]
Metaphysics must involve at least two scientific hypotheses, one fundamental, and add to explanation [Ladyman/Ross]
Some science is so general that it is metaphysical [Ladyman/Ross]
Cutting-edge physics has little to offer metaphysics [Ladyman/Ross]
The aim of metaphysics is to unite the special sciences with physics [Ladyman/Ross]
Science rests on scholastic metaphysics, not on Hume, Kant or Carnap [Boulter]