Overview

Contemporary metaphysics is most commonly approached in a piecemeal fashion, not systematically. Even those philosophers who end up with a metaphysical system tend to tackle issues one at a time, and do not presume that doing metaphysics systematically is a pre-condition for doing metaphysics. But it wasn't always that way. At various points throughout history, and in particular in the nineteenth century, philosophers argued that philosophy in general, and metaphysics in particular, must be done systematically and holistically if it is to be done at all. Systematic Metaphysics seeks to put systematicity back on the philosophical agenda. Featuring contributions from leading philosophers and historians of philosophy, the chapters tackle a host of meta-philosophical issues involving the notion of systematicity: What would it mean for metaphysics (or philosophy) to be systematic? Why would metaphysics have to be systematic? What are the epistemological implications of metaphysics being, or having to be, systematic? What explains the deep interconnectedness of philosophy's branches and sub-branches? Might reflection on these questions compel us to accept that philosophy can't be pursued at all? Because these issues have figured heavily in the history of philosophy, this volume includes both investigations of the place of, and reflection on, systematicity in the work of key historical figures, as well as contemporary explorations of the volume's themes.

Full Product Details

Author:   Aaron Segal (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) ,  Nicholas F. Stang (University of Toronto)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 16.20cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 24.00cm
Weight:   0.623kg
ISBN:  

9780198982098

ISBN 10:   0198982097
Pages:   320
Publication Date:   19 February 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
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Table of Contents

1: Aaron Segal and Nicholas F. Stang: General Introduction Part I. Historical Essays 2: Anna Marmodoro: Mereological Causation 3: Karolina Hübner: How to Be a Mereological Panpsychist 4: Nicholas F. Stang: Why Should Metaphysics Be Systematic?: Contemporary Answers and Kant's 5: Samuel Lebens: A Russellian Philosophy of Philosophy: Systematicity, Entitlement, and the End of Days Part II. Thematic Essays 6: Fraser MacBride and Frederique Janssen-Lauret: Metaphysical Determination, Analysis, and Systematicity 7: Timothy Williamson: Hyperintensionalist Metaphysics as a Case Study in Overfitting 8: Barbara Vetter: What Do We Talk about When We Talk about Metaphysical Modality? A Case Study in Conceptual Systematicity 9: Peter van Inwagen: Epistemological Reflections on the Idea of a Metaphysical System 10: Aaron Segal: The Systematicity of Metaphysics: An Analytic Vindication 11: John Heil: Category Mistakes 12: Graham Priest: Reflections on Systematic Metaphysics 13: Daniel Nolan: Grounding, Explanation, and the Tasks of Metaphysics 14: Catharine Diehl: The Modal Disunity of Metaphysical Truths

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Author Information

Aaron Segal is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He received a PhD in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, and was previously Professor at Yeshiva University. He has published widely in metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and Jewish philosophy. Nicholas F. Stang is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto. He primarily works on metaphysics in Kant, German idealism, and contemporary analytic philosophy.

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