Humean metaphysics versus a metaphysics of powers
| Abstract | The paper considers the opposition between Humean metaphysics and the metaphysics of powers, focusing on laws, probabilities and causation. It argues that within Humean metaphysics, everything is a matter of contingency. Consequently, there is no deep metaphysical difference between a deterministic world and a world in which only probabilistic laws hold. This position is contrasted with the foundations of probabilities according to the metaphysics of powers, in particular the view that traces probabilities back to propensities. The paper then goes into arguments for these positions, recalling first the central argument against Humean metaphysics, and then claiming that, contrary to a widespread belief, the metaphysics of powers is compatible with physics and is able to provide for an ontology that does justice to both physics and the special sciences. | |||||||||
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