Chapters
The Problem of Unity and Relational Internalism
States of affairs are instantiations of universals by particulars. We have examined these particulars and universals. The task we now face is to account for how states of affairs are unified, to account for the unity of states of affairs. That is, we face the problem of unity.
The Unity of States of Affairs and Bradley’s Regress
In the previous chapter, it was assumed that Bradley’s regress is vicious. On this assumption, relational internalism fails as a solution to the problem of unity if it gives rise to the regress. But what if this assumption is mistaken? In fact, as we shall see in Sect. 10.5 in this chapter, several ...
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Concrete Universals
As mentioned in Chap. 10.1007/978-981-13-3068-1_1, I am inclined to believe that naturalism is true. This metaphysical view requires that every existent be concrete , i.e. spatially and/or temporally located.
Relations
No investigation of relations should start without the following ontological distinction between what I consider the three basic kinds of relation . The issue of how these kinds are related to one another is rather complicated, but here I need give only a sketch of it in order to show that only one ...
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Properties
This chapter is concerned with issues that I find particularly relevant to understanding the relationship between properties and states of affairs. It is not concerned with the problem of universals, which, as I have made clear, falls outside the scope of this book.
Bare Particulars
States of affairs are complexes that are instantiations of properties or relations by particulars. The nature of these particulars in states of affairs qua constituents of states of affairs is the topic of this chapter.
A Partial Look at Moderate Realism
In this chapter, I shall present, develop and evaluate the ontology of Donald Mertz, which he calls moderate realism, based on a selection of his work . The central notion in moderate realism is that of an instance of a relation, a ‘relation instance’ .
A Partial Look at Trope Theory
Trope theory is usually introduced as the view that properties are not universal but particular . The particular size, shape, weight, colour, etc. of this mug standing on my desk are examples of such particular properties.
Truthmaking
Truthmaking can be considered as an ontological role, that is, roughly, a set of features or explananda, which, when ‘played’ by a particular kind of entity, is then explained by the ontology of that kind of entity. Thus, whichever ontology provides truthmakers explains these explananda by providing...
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Introduction
States of affairs are unified complexes that are instantiations of properties or relations by particulars.