Putting Metaphysics First: Essays on Metaphysics and Epistemology

Author:   Michael Devitt (City University of New York)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
ISBN:  

9780199280803


Pages:   358
Publication Date:   07 January 2010
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
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Putting Metaphysics First: Essays on Metaphysics and Epistemology


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Overview

The metaphysical part of this book is largely concerned with realism issues. Michael Devitt starts with realism about universals, dismissing Plato's notorious 'one over many' problem. Several chapters argue for a fairly uncompromising realist view of the external physical world of commonsense and science. Both the nonfactualism of moral noncognitivism and positivistic instrumentalism, and deflationism about truth, are found to rest on an antirealism that is hard to characterize. A case is presented for moral realism. Various biological realisms are considered. Finally, an argument is presented for an unfashionable biological essentialism. The second part of the book is epistemological. Devitt argues against the a priori and for a Quinean naturalism. The intuitions that so dominate 'armchair philosophy' are emipirical not a priori. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on distinguishing metaphysical issues about what there is and what it's like from semantic issues about meaning, truth, and reference. Another central theme, captured in the title, is that we should 'put metaphysics first'. We should approach epistemology and semantics from a metaphysical perspective rather than vice versa. The epistemological turn in modern philosophy, and the linguistic turn in contemporary modern philosophy, were something of disasters.

Full Product Details

Author:   Michael Devitt (City University of New York)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 16.30cm , Height: 2.60cm , Length: 24.10cm
Weight:   0.704kg
ISBN:  

9780199280803


ISBN 10:   0199280800
Pages:   358
Publication Date:   07 January 2010
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

"METAPHYSICS 1: ""Ostrich Nominalism"" or ""Mirage Realism""? Postscript to ""'Ostrich Nominalism' or 'Mirage Realism'?"" 2: Aberrations of the Realism Debate Postscript to ""Aberrations of the Realism Debate"" 3: Underdetermination and Commonsense Realism 4: Scientific Realism Postscript to ""Scientific Realism"" 5: Incommensurability and the Priority of Metaphysics Postscript to ""Incommensurability and the Priority of Metaphysics"" 6: Global Response Dependency and Worldmaking 7: The Metaphysics of Nonfactualism 8: The Metaphysics of Truth 9: Moral Realism: A Naturalistic Perspective 10: Natural Kinds and Biological Realisms 11: Resurrecting Biological Essentialism EPISTEMOLOGY 12: Naturalism and the A Priori 13: No Place for the A Priori 14: Intuitions 15: On Determining What There Isn't"

Reviews

Through these articles, Devitt has consistently done more than perhaps anyone else to clarify what is at issue generally in the realism debates and to provide the strongest possible defences of realism in a number of different domains. Both realists and antirealists owe him a lot for this important contribution. Devitt's writing also always moves heavyweight intellectual objects in a way that is always clear, accessible, and devoid of any unnecessary jargon or technicalities. I hope that, like his realist views, his style too will continue to influence young philosophers. --Mind


Through these articles, Devitt has consistently done more than perhaps anyone else to clarify what is at issue generally in the realism debates and to provide the strongest possible defences of realism in a number of different domains. Both realists and antirealists owe him a lot for this important contribution. Devitt's writing also always moves heavyweight intellectual objects in a way that is always clear, accessible, and devoid of any unnecessary jargon or technicalities. I hope that, like his realist views, his style too will continue to influence young philosophers. Jussi Suikkanen, Mind


Author Information

Michael Devitt (PhD Harvard, BA Sydney) is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He taught at the University of Sydney from 1971 until 1987 and the University of Maryland from 1988 to 1999. His main research interests are in the philosophy of language and mind, and in issues of realism.

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