Naturalism and Ontology

174 Pages·1980·3.607 MB·English

by  Wilfrid Sellars

NATURALISM
AND
ONTOLOGY
WilfrSiedl lars
OtherR idgeviPeuwb lishCionmgp anyB ooks
byW ilfrSiedl lars
PhilosoPpehriscpaeelsc HtiistoofryP hilos(1o9p7h7y)
v :
PhilosoPpehriscpaelc Mteitvaeypssh:ia cnsdE p isetmolo(1gy97 7)
urPer agmsaa tnidP ossiWbolrel Tdhse: EaEsrslyay so f
P c
WilfriSde llars (1980)
TheM etpahycssio fE pistemology:
LectubryWe islfr iSde llars (1989)
Science, PaenrdRc eeaplt(1ii9ty9o 1n )
ScieanncdeM etaphysics:
VariatoinKo annst iTahenm e(1s9 92)
NATURALISM
AND
ONTOLOGY
ThJeo hDne wey fLoerc tures
197 4
WilfriSde llars
Rdigeiwve PublhiisnCgo mpanyA tascaCdaielfroo,rn ia
Coyrpig©h t1 799an d1 996
byW ilifrdS elslan ardS usaFnenladS eerls l ar
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CONTENTS
Acknogmwelnetds vi
Prefcae vii
Introduction
1. InP raoifs' eSm oehting' 3
2. ThQe uefsortP roperties
or
Wheni saS orntoa tS ort? 15
3. TheI mportaonfBc eei Dnsigp ensable 41
4. Meangia nnOdn tology 63
5. AfteMrean ing 97
AppeinxCd:o rresponwdietnhc e
MichaLeolu x 127
Inxd e 155
TheP hiloaslWo oprhkoisfcW ilfrSiedrl sl a 175
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ToD .R eidPeulb liCsohmipnagfnor py e rminst soip roianr vte inso ifo
"MeaniansFg u nctCiloasnfisacila tiionIn n,t"e nittyiL,oa nnagulaagned
Translateidoinbt yeJ d.G .T royaenrSd . C.Wh eelre,I I(ID ordrecht,
Hoanldl,1 794).
Prfaece vii
PREFACE
Thisv oluimaser veisaended x pandveedr soifto hnJe o hDne weLye ctures
givaettn h Uen iveorfsC ihtiyc iangM oa y1 794. pArse setnhteweyed r,e
an
attetmopb tr itnogg etihnae r re asonasbylsyte fmroamtc iecr tvaiwiesno n
onltoogsye,m antainctdsh p eh iolpohosyfm inwdh ichha ddIe veloovpeterhd e
prieovtuhsi yrtye aBryss .a ytiihnIsgd on omte atnoi mptlhyta htme a npya pers
inw hhi cpIr esetnhteevsdiwe es w ereex ternraleltaleyd -tthhaveti w esi n
queswteironeno otn ldyi sutiisbnhglbaeu ste parnaobtl eso,en playr baubtl e
searpate-Ifh oarvfr eo mt hbege innbieneognn ltyoa ow aorfet heeisrst einal
interconneTchtetreu dtnihesr s,as t.ht ehrae,at c pha pwerhc,ih evietcrse ntral
themaett,e mpttoe ddn eoaotnl l wyi tihtb ,uw ti tihtp slc aei nt hsec heomfe
things Thee nitniebvrlieret.e a swuaslt th tahtae d vanftoatrgh ere e adoefar
deatilterde atomfaes npte ctiofipwcia cds i tleubdy ntehcee sosfgri astpyi intgs
connecwtiitohen n compabsushtii ngghs,lc yh embaatcikcg,r tohuenodry .
an
Thuse,a cpha pperre supapllto hsoeet dh earsws o,lu adn a tlpasu bhleisdse riatim,
oras eotfd ienrwnarpeik ceudp p eicbey p ieactte h bea nIkbt.e came clear that
soonoerlr a tIwe oru hladv teob tiet hbeu lta lneedx chatnhegexe c itoefm ent
freweh-eienlvgo yagoefds i scofvroe trhyem ixedp leasoufrr east ional
recontsitornu.c
Inp repar·itnhlgee scet fuorrp eusba ltiicIoh na,va et temtpoct aerdery v en
furthetrh teas ko fm akinegpx liittc hsey stenmaattuiorcfme y v ie.wTh se
entewreidngogef t haer gument-CIht ahprto3eu-rghshas bleeelftna rgely
untouscahvfeeods r,yt ilsatniedcd itcohrainabglue itstc ,so lncuidnsgt aganeds ,
inp artuilrcta hdesi ucssnisoo fm eanimnapgp,i anngtd h mee nthaalvb,ee en
preseinnmt uecdgh r eadteetraa nindle wm ateardidaeIlhd a.v ael sionl cuded
a reivsevde irosno ft hec entsreaclt ioof"n Mse aniasn gF unctional
1
ClassaiittiocnTh.e"l atitsie,nmr y o pintihoen ,sb teasttei mnse hnoctrto mpass
ofm yv ieownst e hn atoufrm een anigI.b evleih,eo wevtehrba,ytb eipnlcgae d
int hlear gceorn toefx tt bhoiosak n,d i,n rtpiac,ub lyarb eirnegl attoe d
1
InI netntionLaalnigtyu,aa ngdTe r asnlat1i.Co .nT r,o yaenrdS . CW.h eelIel(rlde,s )(D .R ediel
PublisChoimnpgan Dyo:r dreHcohlt,l a1n9d7,4 ).
viii NaturaalniOdsn mt ology
ontgoilcioasulse s ipnegirtt naop redictahpteoi tiosinnm t,ak easc qutihreteir ru e
sgniificean.c
In as en,ths eenI,am sayitnhtgaht is cboonotlkati itntlsheia rtse yan llew
abomuytp hisloopchavili eAw rse.a derh assw throu gtghrloeusdgo hm oef my
recpeapnertsi s btoohu anvdae s enosfdej e av uTh.e s amei tsru oef t hree ader
whoh asw ithd ifficupletyn etrtahtKeean tdi warna ppoifanp grse ceadtteimnpgt
ats ynt?h Yeesiti nsa d eepseerni stie sa ll Fnoeirwn p. h isloopihtiy s t he
argumenwthi hcc ounantdst ,har eg umeinsit,n deneedwI,.ts eetkobs e s e­lf
cont,aan idnt eofd ololwi tosw nm omentwuimt hm inai muomfp ormsisory
notaneds" asI h avareg ueedl sewhUenrfeo.rt"u noaftc eoluyrt,sh ele,a tter
cannotb ee ntierleilmtyei Fdno.aer v etnih astt emaptats ynthheasbs eiesn tom
froma l arcgoenrt anedxp to,ti tsno as tllila rsgyenrt hwehsiiicttsh,o c oaonn ly
,
adumbrThateeri.eas l waoynmseo rCeri tiBquutteh! be e isastl watyhesen emy
oft hgeo oadn,dth ec omploeftt heie n cotmepP.lh eiolpohsiyss uretlhye
paradigmo ft hawth iaclhw abycesom esb unte ver is.
Ic ann octl otsheer seem arwkist htohukanti ntgh owsheo speul bhiesandd
unpublciomsmheendsto nm yw orhka veiev ngm ea g neuisenneseo fp articait­p
ing a dinil aoguThee. l tii ssl nogt,o ol onign,ed edt,op riwntithu ota n
appearoafns ce-elfl fattTheeryy.k now, ibnodtihv iadnudca ollllye cwthiov ely,
theya er;a ntdo t heIms ayT:h anyko. u
PittsbuOrcgtho,2b5 e1,r 79 8
2
Sciecnea ndMe tpahycss.Thi e presbeonotk amlasbyoe o fas ssitantcothe e s tudeonfKt an tw ho
findisdt i fficutlopt e netrthaetS ee llianarwr sa pipnsgo fK antianth emeisn SM, bunte vwehrthoe less
senstheastth el attmeirg thhtr oswo mlei gohntht e C ritique.
Introduction 1
INTRODUCTION
1.Wh en Iw as comintog p hilospohialcc onscioustnhegrese sa,bt a ttlbeestw een
thes ystewmhsi cbhe gatnh eT wenteithC enturyw erder awingt oa close,
alhotught helg ihtning andt hteh unwdeerrse t iimlprlses vie.I c utm y teetohn
isusesd ividIidnega lanids Rte alist and,t hievna diroeuesdc o,m peting forms of
upsartt RealiIss mwa. t heamtt hbee ginningt hrougmhy fatheeyers,'an sd
perhsa fpotrh arte asonne vgeorit n tPor agmaHtei resgamdr.ed itas hsifty,
am bigouus,an di ndecisOinevt eh.i nkisn th isc onnectoifLo onv ejo'yt'hsi rteen
varietitehosu,g'ht hamty, f athtehro ugwhotu,l mda ket otoi dayp ictuer.
2.' Timei su nre'aSle.n's ea rcdeoa ntsat iotfpu heynstiosbjc ceatl.'s' Miinsd
ad iinsctts ubstan'cWeei. n'tu eists enTcheesars.ee'i ssues yocuan gety our
teeitnhtBo y. c ontrPasrta,g masteiesmmae lmdle t hod andn ore uslt.s
3.A fters triokuiotnn gm yo wn,Is pemnyte arly yeafirgsh tini ntghw ear
agaiPnossti tivilsasmotf- t htegh ree maettap hyscials ystaelwmasys; reala is,t
flinrtgi witOhx forAdr istteianolism, PlatonIintsumi,t iobnuitss mmo,eh ow
convinactte hdeb, a cko fm ym indt,h asto metvheirynm guc hli ke Critical
Realanids Emv olutoinary Naturaliwsasm true.
4.Th us itw asn'tu ntmily t hougbhet gtanoc ry stallizet hIar te aelnlcyoun tered
Deweya ndb egatno s tudyh imI.tce rtainlyw asn'etas yg oign,l cakign ashe
doest,h seo metimesd ecepitvec lariotyft hBer itEmipsirhic istthso,u gluhci dity
itseclofm paretdoH egeHle.c augmheta tat imweh eInw as moving awayfr om
"thMey tho ft heG iven(an" tecedentr ealanidty r?e)d iscovtherei conhger nece
theooryf m eaning.Th us iwtas Dewey'Isd ealibasctkgriocu nd whiincthr igued
me them osItf .ou nd similtarh emeisn R oycean d latienrP e icre. I was
astosnheida tw haIth amdi ssed.
5.Al thoughI c ounmty selafS c ientfiic RealiDsetw,e y'wso rlodf e xpereince
isv erym ucha kitno w haIth avce altlheMedan ifesItm ageo fm an-in-the-world,
which,p ropery lundersitsto hogeda ,t etwoaS cyi entRiefilaicsm .
6.O neo fm y fatheearrlyp' asp ewrass call"Whedo se Epexrenice"? H.ei mpiled
thtahtae n swheartd obe ' yoeuxpreri ence' or'm y xepeirenec.'B uDte weoyf,
courwsoeu, lhda vree pl'ioeuder x periencien't-efrosru banjde ctivity
communwiertyae t t hcee notfeh rit hso ughtas theyar eo fm ine.
7.A sf oNra turaTlhiasttmo,.oh ,a dn egatoivveert oanthe osm eI.tw as as
2 NaturaalniOdsn mt ology
wishy-anwdasam hbyi ugouass P ragtmiasOmn.ec ouli9e avbleem loansytt hing
abotuhtwe o ranldde vesno mteh ianbgosGu otd a,n yde btea N ataulriWshta.t
wasn eedweasda n ewn,o nredmuacttaeilrviieMs ymf .ah tecro uclaldhl imself
aM atreiailnai lsglto ocdo nscifeoarnt c ett,hi amhteew asa botuhtoe n loyn e
in sgihIth,. o wevdeonr o,ot w nt htee rm, Iama nsdos urprbiyss oemodef t he
viwes tohfne e wn,e wM ataeilrtsist,h uantt itlhd eu sste ttlIpe rse,tf hetere rm
'Naaturliswmh,i'cw hhi,l ree ntianiigt mse thodolcoognniotctiaaolhn ass ,
acquais ruebds tacnotnitwveheni tci,hif ,dt o ensoe tn tsaciile nrteiiasfilmic,s
atl easntoi tn cotmipbalei tw.i th