Seminar description 653 goldman

Philosophy 653. Advanced Topics in Metaphysics This seminar will make a case, and explore the prospects, for the role of...

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Philosophy 653. Advanced Topics in Metaphysics This seminar will make a case, and explore the prospects, for the role of cognitive science in the methodology of metaphysics. Nowadays metaphysicians generally accept the idea that natural science is a relevant source of evidence in metaphysics. Why shouldn't there be an evidential role for cognitive science as well (though the role would presumably be quite different)? The seminar will begin by examining contemporary approaches to the aim of metaphysics, focusing on the contrast between "conceptualism" and "realism." Then, emphasizing the latter (currently ascendant) approach, we will inquire into the kinds of evidence that bears on "realistic" metaphysics. What place should everyday experiences and intuitions play in establishing what exists, what the structure of reality is, etc? It will be argued that intuitions and commonsense judgments should not the only "data" in the mix, that our theorizing should also take inputs from cognitive, or mental, science. The main impact of these inputs would be as a deflationary force vis-à-vis our native ontologizing proclivities. This prospect will be surveyed by attention to (many of) the following domains: time, color, events, object persistence, language and ontology, negativities (e.g., holes, causation by absence), moral value, God. In addition to contemporary work by metaphysical theorists, we shall examine specimens of work in the X-phi mold (much of which may be more in sync with the "conceptualist" rather than the "realist" view of metaphysics), as well as other work in cognitive science.