| |
| |
| Preface | |
| |
| |
| Preface to second edition | |
| |
| |
| Preface to third edition | |
| |
| |
| Introduction | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| The nature of metaphysics - some historical reflections | |
| |
| |
| Metaphysics as category theory | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| The problem of universals I: metaphysical realism | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| Realism and nominalism | |
| |
| |
| The ontology of metaphysical realism | |
| |
| |
| Realism and predication | |
| |
| |
| Realism and abstract reference | |
| |
| |
| Restrictions on realism - exemplification | |
| |
| |
| Further restrictions - defined and undefined predicates | |
| |
| |
| Are there any unexemplified attributes? | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| The problem of universals II: nominalism | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| The motivation for nominalism | |
| |
| |
| Austere nominalism | |
| |
| |
| Metalinguistic nominalism | |
| |
| |
| Trope theory | |
| |
| |
| Fictionalism | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Concrete particulars I: substrata, bundles, and substances | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| Substratum and bundle theories | |
| |
| |
| An objection to the bundle theory - subject-predicate discourse | |
| |
| |
| Another objection to the bundle theory - the Identity of Indiscernibles | |
| |
| |
| An argument for the substratum theory | |
| |
| |
| Problems for the substratum theory | |
| |
| |
| Aristotelian substances | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Propositions and their neighbors | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| The traditional theory of propositions | |
| |
| |
| Nominalism about propositions | |
| |
| |
| Facts, states of affairs, and events | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| The necessary and the possible | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| Problems about modality | |
| |
| |
| Possible worlds | |
| |
| |
| Possible worlds nominalism | |
| |
| |
| The metaphysics of possible worlds nominalism - David Lewis | |
| |
| |
| Actualism and possible worlds - Alvin Plantinga | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Causation | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| Hume's account of causation | |
| |
| |
| The response to Hume | |
| |
| |
| Neo-Humean approaches | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| The nature of time | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| McTaggart's argument | |
| |
| |
| The B-theory | |
| |
| |
| The A-theory | |
| |
| |
| The new B-theory | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Concrete particulars II: persistence through time | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| Two theories of persistence - endurantism and perdurantism | |
| |
| |
| Persistence and the nature of time | |
| |
| |
| The ontology of perdurantism | |
| |
| |
| An argument for perdurantism - change in properties | |
| |
| |
| A second argument for perdurantism - change in parts | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| The challenge of anti-Realism | |
| |
| |
| Overview | |
| |
| |
| Two views about the nature of reality | |
| |
| |
| Dummett's anti-Realist | |
| |
| |
| The inscrutability of reference | |
| |
| |
| Putnam's anti-Realism | |
| |
| |
| Realism or anti-Realism? | |
| |
| |
| Notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| Bibliography | |
| |
| |
| Index | |