Metaphysics: An Anthology (Blackwell Philosophy Anthologies)

688 Pages·1999·39.38 MB·English

by  Jaegwon Kim

Edited by Jaegwon Kim and Ernest Sosa
Brown University
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First published 1999 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Reprinted 2000, 2002, 2003 (twice), 2004
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Metaphysics / edited by Jaegwon Kim and Ernest Sosa.
p.cm. - (Blackwell philosophy anthologies)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-631-20278-1 (alk. paper) - ISBN 0-631-20279-X (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Metaphysics. I. Kim, Jaegwon. II. Sosa, Ernest. III. Series.
BDll1.M55 1999
110-dc21 98-8538
CIP
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Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Part I Existence 1
Introduction 3
On What There Is 4
W. V. Quine
2 Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology 13
Rudolf Carnap
3 Existence and Description 23
Bertrand Russell
4 Referring to Nonexistent Objects 36
Terence Parsons
5 Ontological Relativity 45
W. V. Q!.Iine
Part II Identity 63
Introduction 65
6 The Identity ofIndiscernibles 66
Max Black
7 Identity and Necessity 72
Saul Kripke
8 The Same F 90
John Perry
Contents
9 Contingent Identity 100
Allan Gibbard
10 Identity, Essence, and Indiscernibility 116
Stephen Yablo
Part III Modalities and Possible Worlds 131
Introduction 133
11 Modalities: Basic Concepts and Distinctions 135
Alvin Plantinga
12 Identity through Possible Worlds 149
Roderick M. Chisholm
13 Counterparts or Double Lives? 154
David Lewis
14 Primitive Thisness and Primitive Identity 172
Robert M. Adams
15 The Nature of Possibility 184
D. M. Armstrong
Part IV Universals, Properties, Kinds 195
Introduction 197
16 Universals as Attributes 198
D. M. Armstrong
17 New Work for a Theory of Universals 209
David Lewis
18 Natural Kinds 223
W. V. Quine
19 On Properties 243
Hilary Putnam
20 Causality and Properties 253
Sydney Shoemaker
Part V Things and their Persistence 269
Introduction 271
21 Identity through Time 273
Roderick M. Chisholm
22 Identity, Ostension, and Hypostasis 284
W. V. Quine
23 Scattered Objects 291
Richard Cartwright
24 Parthood and Identity across Time 301
Judith Jarvis Thomson
25 Temporal Parts of Four-Dimensional Objects 312
Mark Heller
Contents
Part VI The Persistence of the Self 327
Introduction 329
26 The Persistence of Persons 331
Roderick M. Chisholm
27 Persons and their Pasts 338
Sydney Shoemaker
28 The Self and the Future 355
Bernard Williams
29 Personal Identity 365
Derek Parfit
30 Personal Identity: The Dualist Theory 377
Richard Swinburne
31 Human Beings 393
Mark Johnston
Part VII Causation 409
Introduction 411
32 Causes and Conditions 413
]. L. Mackie
33 Causal Relations 428
Donald Davidson
34 Causation 436
David Lewis
35 Causal Connections 444
Wesley C. Salmon
36 The Nature of Causation: A Singularist Account 458
Michael Tooley
Part VIII Emergence, Reduction, Supervenience 483
Introduction 485
37 Mechanism and Emergentism 487
C. D. Broad
38 Ontological Reduction and the World of Numbers 499
W. V. Quine
39 Special Sciences 504
Jerry A. Fodor
40 Multiple Realization and the Metaphysics of Reduction 515
Jaegwon Kim
41 Physicalism: Ontology, Determination, and Reduction 531
Geoffrey Hellman and Frank Thompson
42 Supervenience as a Philosophical Concept 540
Jaegwon Kim
Contents
Part IX Realism/ Antirealism 557
Introduction 559
43 Realism 561
Michael Dummett
44 Pragmatic Realism 591
Hilary Putnam
45 Putnam's Pragmatic Realism 607
Ernest Sosa
46 Yes, Virginia, There Is a Real World 620
William P. Alston
47 Morals and Modals 634
Simon Blackburn
48 Realism, Antirealism, Irrealism, Quasi-realism 649
Crispin Wright
Name index 666
Subject index 671
Metaphysics is a philosophical inquiry into the surveys and discussions of the problems, positions,
most basic and general features of reality and our and arguments on the topic of each part; for such
place in it. Because of its very subject matter, guidance the reader is encouraged to consult A
metaphysics is often philosophy at its most theor Companion to Metaphysics. Rather, their aim is to
etical and abstract. But, as the works in this book give the reader some orientation, by indicating the
show, simple, intuitive reflections on our familiar scope of the problems dealt with in the works
experiences of everyday life and the concepts that included in that section, and what their authors
we use to describe them can lead us directly to attempt to accomplish.
some of the most profound and intractable prob Part I, on the nature of existence, deals with the
lems of metaphysics. question of what it is for something to exist and
This anthology, intended as a companion to what it is for us to acknowledge something as
Blackwell's A Companion to Metaphysics, is a collec existing. Part II concerns the problem of identity
tion of writings chosen to represent the state of - whether qualitative indiscernibility entails iden
discussion on the central problems of contempor tity, whether identity is always necessary or can be
ary metaphysics. Many of the selections are "con contingent, whether identity is relative to sortals,
temporary classics," and many of the rest will likely and so on. Part III is on "modal" concepts like
join the ranks of the "classics" in due course. necessity and possibility, essence and essential
Throughout the selection process we tried to be property, necessary and contingent truth, and
responsive to the needs of students who are relat "possible worlds." The part that follows is devoted
ively new to metaphysics. Given the overall aim of to age-old issues concerning universals, properties,
the volume and the nature of the field, it is un and kinds - the items in terms of which we char
avoidable that some of the writings included con acterize things of this world. The central question
tain somewhat technical parts that demand close of Part V is what it is for something to be a "thing,"
study; however, we believe that most of the essen and, in particular, what makes one thing at one
tial selections are accessible to the attentive reader time to be "the same thing" as something at
without an extensive background in metaphysics or another time. This part is followed by a group of
technical philosophy. writings addressing the same question for persons:
The selections are grouped in nine parts. Each there is a clear and deep difference, most of us
part is preceded by a brief editorial introduction, would feel, between our continuing to live till
including a list of works for further reading. These tomorrow and our being replaced by an exact
introductions are not intended as comprehensive "molecule-for-molecule" duplicate in our sleep
Preface
tonight; but in what does this difference consist? we have had to forgo many valuable follow-up
Part VII is devoted to the nature of causation, the discussions and elaborations, objections and
relation that David Hume famously called "the replies, and expository surveys. We hope that the
cement of the universe." Major contemporary interested reader will pursue the threads of discus
accounts of the nature of causation are represented sion inspired by the materials included here.
here. This is followed by a part concerning the During much of the middle half of the century,
ways (besides the causal relation) in which things metaphysics was in the doldrums, at least within
and phenomena of this world may hang together, the analytic tradition. This was largely due to the
and the topics dealt with here - emergence, reduc anti-metaphysical influence of the two then dom
tion, and supervenience - are of critical importance inant philosophical trends. Logical positivism and
to current debates in philosophy of mind and phi its formalistic, hyper-empiricist legacies lingered
losophy of science. The issue of realism/ antireal through the 1950s and 1960s in the United States,
ism has lately returned as a major philosophical nourishing an atmosphere that did not encourage
problem, and the final part of the book includes serious metaphysics, while in Britain the anti
discussions of realism and its major contemporary metaphysical animus derived from "ordinary
alternatives. It was often difficult to neatly segre language" philosophy and the later works of
gate the works into separate parts; the reader Wittgenstein. However, metaphysics began a
should be aware that many of the selections are of surprisingly swift, robust comeback in the 1960s,
relevance to problems dealt with in more than one and since then has been among the most active and
part. This is especially true of the chapters in Parts productive areas of philosophy. It is now flourish
II and III, and those in Parts V and VI. ing as never before, showing perhaps that our need
The topics represented in this book by no means for metaphysics is as basic as our need for philoso
exhaust the field of metaphysics. For reasons of phy itself. We believe that this collection gives a
space, we have had to leave out many important broad glimpse of metaphysics during the century
topics, among them the following: facts, events, that is now about to close.
and tropes; primary and secondary qualities; the Maura Geisser, Brie Gertler, and Matt
status of abstract entities; parts and wholes; the McGrath have helped us with this project in vari
objective and the subjective; time and becoming; ous ways, and we have received valuable advice
determinism and agency; and the nature and pos from our Brown colleagues Victor Caston and
sibility of metaphysics. Even on the topics included Jamie Dreier. Also helpful were the comments
here, many important and worthy works have had and suggestions by the anonymous readers of the
to be left out, either on account of limited space or preliminary plan we submitted to Blackwell. Steve
because of the difficulty of extracting from them Smith, our editor, has been unfailingly supportive
something of reasonable length that would be self and helpful. We owe thanks to them all.
contained. In choosing the works to be included,
our primary focus has been on seminal primary Jaegwon Kim
literature that represents the major contemporary Ernest Sosa
positions on the issues involved. In consequence, October 1998
The authors and publishers would like to thank the New York University Press for chapter 7;
following for permission to use copyright material: Open Court, a division of Carus Publishing, for
American Philosophical Quarter~y for chapters 27, chapters 21, 26, 44;
32; Oxford University Press for chapter 11;
The American Philosophy Association and Wil Philosophy and Phenomenological Research and
liam P. Alston for chapter 46; Brown University for chapter 40;
Blackwell Publishers for chapters 13 (with David Princeton University Press for chapter 35;
Lewis), 30, 47 (with Simon Blackburn); Review ofM etaphysics for chapter 1;
Cambridge University Press for chapters 25, 42; Routledge and Kegan Paul for chapter 37;
Columbia University for chapters 5,10,14,24,31, The Bertrand Russell estate for chapter 3;
33,34 (with David Lewis), 38,41,45 (with Ernest University of Calgary Press for chapters 15,36;
Sosa); University of Chicago Press for chapter 2;
Cornell University Press for chapters 6, 8, 28, 29; University of Minnesota Press for chapters 12, 48;
Harvard University Press for chapter 22; Westview Press for chapter 16.
Kluwer Academic Publishers for chapters 4,9, 18, Every effort has been made to trace the copyright
19,20,23,39,43; holders, but if any have been inadvertently over
La Trobe University and David Lewis for chapter looked, the publishers will be pleased to make the
17; necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.