Bolzano's Philosophy of Grounding: Translations and Studies

The debate about grounding and metaphysical explanation is a lively one in contemporary philosophy, with Bernard Bolzano's theory of grounding being a key focus. This book aims to make Bolzano's ideas more accessible to a broader audience by gathering translations of his most important writings and exploring their applications in Bolzano's philosophy and beyond.

Format: Hardback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 24 February 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The concepts of grounding and metaphysical explanation have sparked intense debate in contemporary philosophy, with many recognizing their profound significance for metaphysics, the philosophy of explanation, and even philosophy as a whole. Regrettably, these notions have been overlooked for far too long. While the current debate on grounding may be relatively recent, its core ideas have a rich and enduring history in Western philosophy, dating back at least to the works of Plato and Aristotle. Bernard Bolzano's theory of grounding, developed in the early 19th century, stands as a pinnacle in the evolution of these ideas. Bolzano's theory of grounding, which encompasses both causal and non-causal cases, is a comprehensive and rigorous framework that surpasses most previous theories in terms of scope, depth, and rigor. Moreover, it anticipates a range of concepts that are central to the contemporary debate. Despite the richness and modernity of Bolzano's theory, it has been known primarily to a small circle of philosophers, largely composed of Bolzano scholars. Bolzano's Philosophy of Grounding seeks to broaden the accessibility of Bolzano's ideas on grounding to a broader audience. The book comprises translations of Bolzano's most important writings on these topics, including material that has previously been unavailable in English. Additionally, it includes a survey article that provides an overview of Bolzano's conception and nine research papers that critically assess various aspects of the theory and explore its wide-ranging applications within Bolzano's philosophy and beyond.

Weight: 860g
Dimension: 240 x 164 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192847973