The principle of sufficient reason : a reassessment / Alexander R. Pruss.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pruss, Alexander R., author.

Series:

Cambridge studies in philosophy.

Cambridge studies in philosophy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sufficient reason.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiii, 335 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR) says that all contingent facts must have explanation. In this 2006 volume, which was the first on the topic in the English language in nearly half a century, Alexander Pruss examines the substantive philosophical issues raised by the Principle Reason. Discussing various forms of the PSR and selected historical episodes, from Parmenides, Leibnez, and Hume, Pruss defends the claim that every true contingent proposition must have an explanation against major objections, including Hume's imaginability argument and Peter van Inwagen's argument that the PSR entails modal fatalism. Pruss also provides a number of positive arguments for the PSR, based on considerations as different as the metaphysics of existence, counterfactuals and modality, negative explanations, and the everyday applicability of the PSR. Moreover, Pruss shows how the PSR would advance the discussion in a number of disparate fields, including meta-ethics and the philosophy of mathematics.

Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Reflections on some historical episodes

3. The causal principle and the PSR

4. A modern version of the Hume objection

5. The anti-theological argument : that there are no necessary beings

6. Modal fatalism

7. Free will

8. Quantum mechanics

9. Turning Leibniz against the PSR

10. What survives the criticisms of the PSR?

11. Self-evidence

12. Three Thomistic arguments

13. Modal arguments

14. Is the universe reasonable?

15. Explanation of negative states of affairs

16. The puzzle of the everyday applicability of the PSR

17. Inference to the best or only explanation

18. Inductive skepticism

19. The nature of possibility

20. Conclusions.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 323-329) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-16740-X

1-280-48046-7

0-511-22043-X

0-511-22135-5

0-511-21939-3

0-511-31612-7

0-511-49899-3

0-511-22007-3

OCLC:

228144795