LECTURE 2
• TWO POPULAR WORLD VIEWS
• THE COMMON WESTERN
METAPHYSIC
• WHY HAS METAPHYSICS MADE
SO LITTLE PROGRESS?
NATURALISM AND
SUPERNATURALISM
NATURALISM: EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS IS A PART
OF, OR A CONSTITUENT OF, SPACE-TIME.
THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF PHYSICS GOVERN
THE PROPERTIES AND BEHAVIOR OF
EVERYTHING. THERE IS NO EXPLANATION OF THE
EXISTENCE OF THESE LAWS OR OF THE
BEGINNING OF THE UNIVERSE (IF IT HAD A
BEGINNING). LIFE AND ITS DEVELOPMENT ARE A
RESULT OF THESE LAWS, RANDOM VARIATIONS,
AND EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT. LIFE AND
HUMAN BEINGS HAVE NO PURPOSE.
SUPERNATURALISM
(ONE KIND: MONOTHEISM)
THERE EXISTS A UNIQUE GOD WHO
CREATED THE PHYSICAL WORLD, ITS
LAWS, AND EVERYTHING IN IT. HE
EXISTS NECESSARILY AND IS
OMNISCIENT, OMNIPOTENT AND
PERFECTLY GOOD. HUMAN BEINGS
WERE CREATED BY GOD TO LOVE HIM
THERE ARE OF COURSE VARIATIONS
AND ALTERNATIVES
NATURALISM: RECENTLY PHYSICISTS HAVE
SPECULATED ABOUT MULTI-VERSES – SPACETIME CONTINUUA DISTINCT FROM OURS AND
POSSIBLY CAUSALLY INACCESSIBLE FROM THIS
ONE.
SUPERNATURALISM: THERE ARE MANY THEISTIC
WORLD VIEWS, SOME ARE POLYTHEISTIC
(INVOLVING MANY GODS).
THE COMMON WESTERN METAPHYSIC
ALMOST EVERYONE IN MODERN WESTERN
CULTURE PROBABLY BELIEVES SOMETHING
LIKE THE FOLLOWING (WHETHER THEY ARE
NATURALISTS, SUPERNATURALISTS, OR
NEITHER).
THERE ARE A GREAT MANY PHYSICAL THINGS
(“MATERIAL OBJECTS”): BUILDINGS, TREES,
STARS, PLANETS, BODIES OF PEOPLE, TABLES,
CHAIRS, STICKS, SACKS, CABBAGES, KINGS…
SPACE AND OBJECTIVITY
• EVERY PHYSICAL OBJECT IS SOME
DEFINITE DISTANCE FROM EVERY
OTHER IN SPACE.
• MANY OF THESE OBJECTS EXIST
INDEPENDENTLY OF WHETHER
OR NOT THERE ARE HUMAN
BEINGS WITH CONSCIOUSNESS.
CAUSATION AND TIME
• THESE OBJECTS CAN
SOMETIMES CAUSE CHANGES
IN EACH OTHER.
• THINGS HAPPEN IN TIME.
TIME SEEMS TO “PASS” OR
“FLOW.”
WHY HAS METAPHYSICS FAILED TO
PRODUCE IMPORTANT RESULTS?
(1) METAPHYSICAL QUESTIONS ARE
MEANINGLESS. NO WONDER NO ANSWERS
HAVE BEEN AGREED UPON (E.G. THE
LOGICAL POSITIVISTS.
(2) METAPHYSICAL QUESTIONS ARE TOO
DIFFICULT FOR HUMAN BEINGS. (E.G. KANT).
RUDOLF CARNAP
(1891-1970)
MORITZ SCHLICK
(1882-1936)
CARL HEMPEL
(1905-1997)
HANS REICHENBACH
(1891-1953)
IMMANUEL KAN
(1724-1804)
SOME MITIGATING ANSWERS
THERE ARE OTHER THINGS TO BE SAID ABOUT
THIS: PHILOSOPHY (AND A PART OF IT THAT
WAS RIGHTLY CALLED METAPHYSICS) HAS
HAD SOME IMPRESSIVE SUCCESSES: PHYSICS
ITSELF WAS ONCE PART OF PHILOSOPHY.
PSYCHOLOGY WAS ONCE PART OF
PHILOSOPHY. WHEN A PART OF PHILOSOPHY
BEGINS TO PRODUCE CONSENSUS, IT BREAKS
OFF – LEAVING THE MORE DIFFICULT
QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANY INFORMATION TO BE
GAINED FROM THIS COURSE?
VAN INWAGEN SAYS “NO”. CERTAINLY IT WILL
NOT BE INFORMATION OF THIS SORT: “THERE
IS A GOD”, “TIME IS NOT REAL”, “WE HAVE
FREE-WILL” … . BUT WE WILL STUDY SOME
INTERESTING REASONS FOR VARIOUS
METAPHYSICAL VIEWS. PHILOSOPHERS MORE
OFTEN AGREE ON NEGATIVE RESULTS: THAT
DOESN’T WORK, THIS DOESN’T WORK,…
WHY IS METAPHYSICS WORTH DOING?
IF WE DON’T HAVE ANSWERS AND IT DOESN’T
LOOK LIKE THESE QUESTIONS WILL BE
SETTLED ANY TIME SOON, WHY SHOULD
ANYONE “DO” METAPHYSICS?
WHY DO ANYTHING? MANY OF OUR ACTIVITIES
DON’T HAVE MUCH PRACTICAL IMPACT ON
THE MAJORITY OF HUMANKIND. SOME OF US
CAN’T HELP THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS
AND METAPHYSICS IS RELATIVELY HARMLESS.
INDIVIDUALITY
WHAT IS AN INDIVIDUAL THING?
NOT: MODIFICATIONS OF THINGS
NOT: MERE COLLECTIONS OF THINGS
NOT: EVENTS
NOT: STUFFS
NOT: UNIVERSALS
MONISM
THERE IS ONLY ONE SUBSTANTIAL THING (“THE
ONE”, “THE ABSOLUTE”, “THE ABSOLUTE
MIND”, “THE ABSOLUTE IDEA”, “GOD”,…)
TWO WESTERN MONISTS:
BARUCH SPINOZA
F. H. BRADLEY
BARUCH (BENEDICT) SPINOZA
(1632-1677)
FRANCIS H. BRADLEY
(1846-1924)