Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology

540 Pages·2009·2.035 MB·English

by  David Chalmers, David Manley, Ryan Wasserman

Metametaphysics
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Metametaphysics
New Essays on the Foundations
of Ontology
edited by
David Chalmers, David Manley, and Ryan
Wasserman
CLARENDON PRESS · OXFORD
1
GreatClarendonStreet,Oxfordox26dp
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Metametaphysics:newessaysonthefoundationsofontology/editedbyDavidChalmers,DavidManley,
andRyanWasserman.
p.cm.
Includesindex.
Thisvolumegrewoutoftwoconferences,oneheldattheAustralianNationalUniversityinJune2005,
andanotherheldatBoiseStateUniversityinMar.2007.
ISBN978–0–19–954600–8(pbk.:alk.paper)—ISBN978–0–19–954604–6(hardback:alk.paper)
1.Ontology—Congresses.2.Metaphysics—Congresses.I.Chalmers,DavidJohn,1966–II.Manley,
David.III.Wasserman,Ryan.
BD311.M4832009
110.1—dc22 2008046062
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ISBN978–0–19–954604–6(Hbk.)
ISBN978–0–19–954600–8(Pbk.)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Acknowledgments
This volume grew out of two conferences on Metametaphysics: one held at
the Australian National University (ANU) in June 2005, and another held
at Boise State University in March 2007. We are grateful to the Australian
Research Council for making the ANU conference possible (via funding for
David Chalmers’ Federation Fellowship project), and to Andrew Cortens for
organizing the Boise State conference. We also owe thanks to the authors
of the papers in this book for reviewing each other’s papers, to William
R.Dunaway for helping with the index, and to Peter Momtchiloff for his
editorialassistance.
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Contents
ListofContributors ix
1. Introduction:AGuidedTourofMetametaphysics 1
DavidManley
2. Composition,Colocation,andMetaontology 38
KarenBennett
3. OntologicalAnti-Realism 77
DavidJ.Chalmers
4. CarnapandOntologicalPluralism 130
MattiEklund
5. TheQuestionofOntology 157
KitFine
6. TheMetaontologyofAbstraction 178
BobHaleandCrispinWright
7. SuperficialisminOntology 213
JohnHawthorne
8. OntologyandAlternativeLanguages 231
EliHirsch
9. Ambitious,YetModest,Metaphysics 260
ThomasHofweber
10. WaysofBeing 290
KrisMcDaniel
11. MetaphysicsafterCarnap:TheGhostWhoWalks? 320
HuwPrice
12. OnWhatGroundsWhat 347
JonathanSchaffer
13. OntologicalRealism 384
TheodoreSider
viii contents
14. Ontology,Analyticity,andMeaning:theQuine–Carnap
Dispute 424
ScottSoames
15. AnswerableandUnanswerableQuestions 444
AmieL.Thomasson
16. Being,Existence,andOntologicalCommitment 472
PetervanInwagen
17. MustExistence-Questions haveAnswers? 507
StephenYablo
Index 527
Contributors
KarenBennett,CornellUniversity
DavidJ.Chalmers,AustralianNationalUniversity
MattiEklund,CornellUniversity
KitFine,NewYorkUniversity
BobHale,UniversityofSheffield
JohnHawthorne,UniversityofOxford
EliHirsch,BrandeisUniversity
ThomasHofweber,UniversityofNorthCarolinaatChapelHill
DavidManley,UniversityofSouthernCalifornia
KrisMcDaniel,SyracuseUniversity
HuwPrice,UniversityofSydney
JonathanSchaffer,TheAustralianNationalUniversity
TheodoreSider,NewYorkUniversity
ScottSoames,UniversityofSouthernCalifornia
AmieL.Thomasson,UniversityofMiami
PetervanInwagen,TheUniversityofNotreDame
CrispinWright,UniversityofStAndrewsandNewYorkUniversity
StephenYablo,MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology