Fictional ObjectsStuart Brock, Anthony Everett Eleven original essays discuss a range of puzzling philosophical questions about fictional characters, and more generally about fictional objects. For example, they ask questions like the following: Do they really exist? What would fictional objects be like if they existed? Do they exist eternally? Are they created? Who by? When and how? Can they be destroyed? If so, how? Are they abstract or concrete? Are they actual? Are they complete objects? Are they possible objects? How many fictional objects are there? What are their identity conditions? What kinds of attitudes can we have towards them? This volume will be a landmark in the philosophical debate about fictional objects, and will influence higher-level debates within metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
A Reconsidered Defence of Haecceitism Regarding Fictional Individuals | 24 |
Objects of Fiction and Objects of Thought | 41 |
Wondering about Witches | 71 |
The Philosophers Stone and Other Mythical Objects | 114 |
A Suitable Metaphysics for Fictional Entities | 129 |
Creationism and the Problem of Indiscernible Fictional Objects | 147 |
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Common terms and phrases
abstract artefacts accept according account of fictional actual world Angela Merkel Anna Karenina Anthony Everett antirealist arbitrariness argued artefactualist assert assumption believe blighted Bob’s mare Braun Brock Brutal Identity claim commit created creationism creationist distinct dwarves empty general terms Everett example fact false ficta fictional characters fictional entities fictional names fictional objects fictional predicates fictional properties fictional realist fictional-person ideas fictionalist fictum Gappy Proposition Theory Geach genuine Harry Potter Hob and Nob Hob thinks Hob’s hobbit Holmes2 individual intuitions Inwagen killed Cob’s sow kind Kripke Kripke’s Meinongian metafictional metaphysical Millian mythical attributes mythical object mythical planet N ray Naı¨ve Theory negative existentials Nob wonders nonconscious nonexistent object Noûs novel nuclear properties ontological Parsons Philosophical Pooh Bear pretence principle problem refer relevant Salmon Sarah Schnieder scope semantic content Sherlock Holmes Solodkoff’s Answer story term Anna Karenina things Thomasson thought true truth unicorn utterances Verrier Voltolini Vulcan witch