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Single Idea 16252

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

Full Idea

Since metaphysics doesn't want to assert analytic propositions, nor fall within the domain of physical science, it is compelled to employ words for which no criteria of application are specified, ..or else combine meaningful words..into pseudo-statements.

Gist of Idea

Metaphysics uses empty words, or just produces pseudo-statements

Source

Rudolph Carnap (Elimination of Metaphysics by Analysis of Language [1959]), quoted by Tim Maudlin - The Metaphysics within Physics 2.4

Book Ref

Maudlin,Tim: 'The Metaphysics within Physics' [OUP 2007], p.69

A Reaction

A classic summary of the logical positivist rejection of metaphysics. I incline to treat metaphysics as within the domain of science, but at a level of generality so high that practising scientists become bewildered and give up.

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]