Single Idea 16414

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 1. Nature of Metaphysics]

Full Idea

Lowe argues that the sciences need metaphysics to discharge the assumptions that they simply made at the outset.

Gist of Idea

Science needs metaphysics to weed out its presuppositions

Source

report of E.J. Lowe (The Possibility of Metaphysics [1998]) by Thomas Hofweber - Ambitious, yet modest, Metaphysics 1.2

Book Reference

'Metametaphysics', ed/tr. Chalmers/Manley/Wasserman [OUP 2009], p.262


A Reaction

Hofweber doesn't buy this, and neither do I. I don't think science 'needs' metaphysics (or barely needs it), but I do think metaphysics needs a fair degree of science. It is high-level abstraction based on the facts.

Related Idea

Idea 16413 Science has discovered properties of things, so there are properties - so who needs metaphysics? [Hofweber]