Abstract
Different interpretations of Bradley’s regress argument are considered. On the basis of textual evidences, it is argued that the most persuasive is the one that sees the argument as primarily addressing the general issue of unity or connectedness.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Among Russell and Moore’s contributions to the debate cf. Russell (1900) and Moore (1920). A significant episode of this story was the symposium at the joint session of the Aristotelian Society and the Mind Association in 1935, devoted to “Internal relations”, whose participants were Ryle and Ayer (1935).
As samples of this attitude with respect to Bradley’s regress, cf. Bergmann (1960), Olson (1987), Mertz (1996) (chapter VIII), Armstrong (1997) (pp. 114–115), Vallicella (2000, 2002); Orilia (2006). An ample critical survey of this literature can be found in Cimmino (2009) (chapter I). On the issue of the unity of complexes, with obvious references to Bradley, cf. also Davidson (2005) and Gaskin (2008).
Cf. Bradley (1893, pp. 26–27).
Bradley (1893, pp. 17–18).
Bradley (1883, p. 96).
Bradley (1883, p. 95).
Russell (1903, pp. 49–50).
Bradley (1910, p. 179).
Russell (1992, p. 350).
Russell (1910, p. 373).
Bradley (1911, p. 74).
Russell (1992, p. 352).
It is introduced by the words: “But let us attempt another exit from this bewildering circle” (Bradley 1893, p. 17).
Baxter (1996, p. 21).
Wollheim (1969, pp. 71–87).
Wollheim (1969, pp. 102–120).
Bradley (1893, p. 16).
Bradley (1893, pp. 16–17).
Cf. Baxter (1996).
It is to be noted that the shift from the attribution of a quality to a thing to the consideration of the thing itself as a complex of which the quality is part is remarkably natural in Bradley’s philosophy, according to which the ultimate form of any judgment ‘S is P’ is ‘The Reality is such that S–P’. What constitutes the subject can be legitimately moved to the predicate position, so that a question concerning the relationship between a thing (S) and one of its quality (P) may easily turn into a question concerning the constitution of the thing itself (S–P).
Bradley (1893, p. 17).
Cf. Baxter (1996, p. 5).
Bradley (1893, p. 17).
Cf. Cimmino (2009, chapter I).
References
Armstrong DM (1997) A world of states of affairs. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Baxter DLM (1996) Bradley on substantive and adjective: the complex-unity problem. In: Mander WJ (ed) Perspectives on the logic and metaphysics of F.H. Bradley. Thoemmes, Bristol, pp 1–24
Bergmann G (1960) Ineffability, ontology, and method. Philos Rev LXIX:18–40
Bradley FH (1883) The principles of logic. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Bradley FH (1893) Appearance and reality. A metaphysical essay. Swan Sonnenschein & Co., London
Bradley FH (1910) Appearance, error, and contradiction. Mind XIX:153–185
Bradley FB (1911) Reply to Mr. Russell’s explanation. Mind XX:74–76
Bradley FH (1935) Relations. In: Bradley FH (ed) Collected essays. Clarendon Press, Oxford, pp 629–676
Candlish S (2007) The Russell/Bradley dispute and its significance for twentieth-century philosophy. Palgrave, Basingstoke
Cimmino L (2009) Il cemento dell’universo. Riflessioni su F.H. Bradley, Siena, Cantagalli
Davidson D (2005) Truth and predication. Harvard University Press, Cambridge
Gaskin R (2008) The unity of the proposition. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Hylton P (1984) The nature of the proposition and the revolt against idealism. In: Rorty R, Schneewind JB, Skinner Q (eds) Philosophy in history. Essays on the historiography of philosophy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 375–397
Hylton P (1990) Russell, idealism and the emergence of analytic philosophy. Clarendon Press, Oxford
Mertz DW (1996) Moderate realism and its logic. Yale University Press, New Haven
Moore GE (1920) External and internal relations. In: Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, XX, pp 40–62
Olson KR (1987) An essay on facts. CSLI, Stanford
Orilia F (2006) Stati di cose, esemplificazione e regresso di Bradley. Rivista di filosofia XCVII:349–385
Russell B (1900) A critical exposition of the philosophy of Leibniz. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Russell B (1903) The principles of mathematics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Russell B (1910) Some explanations in reply to Mr. Bradley. Mind XIX:373–378
Russell B (1992) The collected papers of Bertrand Russell, vol VI. Routledge, London
Ryle G, Ayer AJ (1935) Internal relations. In: Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society. Supplementary volume, 14, pp 154–185
Sellars W (1962) Naming and saying. Philos Sci XXIX:7–26
Sellars W (1980) Naturalism and ontology. Ridgeview, Atascadero
Vallicella WF (2000) Three conceptions of states of affairs. Noûs XXIV:237–259
Vallicella WF (2002) A paradigm theory of existence. Onto-theology vindicated. Kluwer, Dordrecht
Wollheim R (1969) F.H. Bradley, Penguin, Harmondsworth (1st ed. 1959)