Table Of Content

“Grounding is one of the central topics in contemporary metaphysics. This collection represents the cutting edge of work in this fast-developing area, and is a must have both for veterans of debates about grounding and philosophers wanting to explore how thinking about grounding interacts with their favourite philosophical problems.” —Daniel Nolan, University of Notre Dame THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF METAPHYSICAL GROUNDING Some of philosophy’s biggest questions, both historically and today, are in-virtue-of questions: In virtue of what is an action right or wrong? In virtue of what am I the same person my mother bore? In virtue of what is an artwork beautiful? Philosophers attempt to answer many of these types of in-virtue-of questions, but philosophers are also increasingly focusing on what an in-virtue-of question is in the first place. Many assume, at least as a working hypothesis, that in-virtue-of questions involve a distinctively metaphysical kind of determinative explanation called “ground.” This Handbook surveys the state of the art on ground as well as its connections and applications to other topics. The central issues of ground are discussed in 37 chapters, all written exclusively for this volume by a wide range of leading experts. The chapters are organized into the following sections: I. History II. Explanation and Determination III. Logic and Structure IV. Connections V. Applications Introductions at the start of each section provide an overview of the section’s contents, and a list of Related Topics at the end of each chapter points readers to other germane areas throughout the volume. The resulting volume is accessible enough for advanced students and informative enough for researchers. It is essential reading for anyone hoping to get clearer on what the biggest questions of philosophy are really asking. Michael J. Raven is Associate Professor of philosophy at the University of Victoria and Affiliate Associate Professor of philosophy at the University of Washington, Co-Chief Editor of Metaphysics, and a founding member of the Canadian Metaphysics Collaborative. His research focuses on metaphysics, philosophy of language and mind, and epistemology. ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOKS IN PHILOSOPHY Routledge Handbooks in Philosophy are state-of-the-art surveys of emerging, newly refreshed, and important fields in philosophy, providing accessible yet thorough assessments of key problems, themes, thinkers, and recent developments in research. All chapters for each volume are specially commissioned and written by leading scholars in the field. Carefully edited and organized, Routledge Handbooks in Philosophy provide indispensa ble reference tools for students and researchers seeking a comprehensive overview of new and exciting topics in philosophy. They are also valuable teaching resources as accompaniments to textbooks, anthologies, and research-oriented publications. Also available: THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF PHILOSOPHY OF THE CITY Edited by Sharon M. Meagher, Samantha Noll, and Joseph S. Biehl THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF PANPSYCHISM Edited by William Seager THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF PHILOSOPHY OF RELATIVISM Edited by Martin Kusch THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF PHILOSOPHY OF COLOUR Edited by Derek H. Brown and Fiona Macpherson THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF METAPHYSICAL GROUNDING Edited by Michael J. Raven THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY Edited by Saba Bazargan-Forward and Deborah Tollefsen For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbooks- in-Philosophy/book-series/RHP THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF METAPHYSICAL GROUNDING Edited by Michael J. Raven First published 2020 by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2020 Taylor & Francis The right of Michael J. Raven to be identified as the author of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-0-8153-6649-2 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-351-25884-5 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Apex CoVantage, LLC Justin Zylstra (1987–2019), author of the chapter “Essence”, died shortly after this volume was delivered to the publisher. Justin was a promising and prolific young philosopher with a bright future. Many of the other authors had the good fortune to know him and his work. The imprint left by Justin’s insights and his thoughtful, gently tenacious commitment to philosophy will continue influencing us, even while his presence is sorely missed. This volume is dedicated with admiration and affection to Justin. CONTENTS Notes on Contributors xiii Acknowledgments xvii Introduction 1 Michael J. Raven PART I History 15 Introduction 17 Michael J. Raven 1 Ancient 20 Phil Corkum 2 Aristotelian Demonstration 33 Marko Malink 3 Medieval and Early Modern 49 Margaret Cameron 4 Principle of Sufficient Reason 63 Fatema Amijee 5 Bolzano 76 Stefan Roski ix