The Tools of Metaphysics and the Metaphysics of Science

The metaphysics of science and mathematics has been significantly impacted by the shift from modal to postmodal conceptual tools, as highlighted by Theodore Sider. He examines three structuralist positions through a postmodal lens, including nomic essentialism, structuralism about individuals, and comparativism about quantities, and considers the meta-question of when theories are equivalent.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 08 February 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Metaphysics is highly dependent on the conceptual tools we employ to address metaphysical issues. These tools serve as a framework through which we perceive and interpret metaphysical problems, resulting in distinct perspectives when we alter the lens. In his book, Theodore Sider delves into the impact of the transition from modal to postmodal conceptual tools on the metaphysics of science and mathematics. He emphasizes how the increased focus on concepts such as ground, essence, and fundamentality has profoundly influenced the ongoing debate over structuralism. Sider illustrates this transformation by examining three structuralist positions through a postmodal lens. Firstly, nomic essentialism, which posits that scientific properties hold secondary importance, while lawlike relationships among them take precedence. Secondly, structuralism about individuals, a broader stance encompassing mathematical structuralism and structural realism, asserts that scientific and mathematical objects are secondary, with the pattern of relations among them being of primary significance. Lastly, comparativism about quantities suggests that specific values of scientific quantities, such as having precisely 1000g mass, are secondary, while quantitative relations, such as being twice as massive as, hold primary importance. Sider concludes these discussions by addressing the meta-question of when theories are equivalent and how this affects the ongoing debate over structuralism.

Weight: 382g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192864765