Dispositionalism and the metaphysics of science / Travis Dumsday.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dumsday, Travis, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Disposition (Philosophy).

Science--Philosophy.

Science.

Philosophy and science.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 219 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Summary:

Dispositionalism is the view that causal powers are among the irreducible properties of nature. It has long been among the core competing positions in the metaphysics of laws, but its potential implications for other key debates within metaphysics and the philosophy of science have remained under-explored. Travis Dumsday fills this major gap in the literature by establishing new connections between dispositionalism and such topics as substance ontology, ontic structural realism, material composition, emergentism, natural-kind essentialism, perdurantism, time travel, and spacetime substantivalism. He also puts forward a novel view concerning the precise relationship between causal powers and the fundamental laws of nature. His rich and accessible study will appeal to readers interested in contemporary analytic metaphysics and philosophy of science.

Contents:

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Dispositionalism and the laws of nature

Dispositionalism and ontic structural realism

Dispositionalism and material composition

Dispositionalism and substance ontology

Dispositionalism and natural-kind essentialism

Dispositionalism and spacetime

Dispositionalism and essentially active objects

Dispositionalism and emergentism

Conclusion

Works cited

Index.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 29 Jan 2019).

ISBN:

1-108-56998-6

1-108-64750-2

1-108-57189-1