Metaphysics and the Sciences
Metaphysics and the Sciences by Matteo Morganti, published by Cambridge University Press on May 30, 2024, is a concise exploration of the intricate relationship between metaphysics and the sciences. This new edition, comprising 78 pages, presents a structured examination of methodological issues that arise when these two fields intersect, addressing the ongoing debate surrounding philosophical naturalism and anti-naturalism.
Readers will find a thorough analysis that includes a taxonomy of views on the interaction between metaphysics and science. The book delves into milder forms of naturalism, which seek to align metaphysics with scientific inquiry while maintaining its distinctiveness. Additionally, it reflects on significant challenges in scientifically oriented metaphysics, particularly concerning theory choice and the role of non-empirical factors in explaining phenomena. This work serves as a critical resource for those interested in the philosophical underpinnings of scientific practice.
Official synopsis Publisher
This Element presents and critically examines the relationship between metaphysics and the sciences. Section 1 provides a brief introduction. Section 2 looks at the methodological issues that arise when metaphysics and science get into contact, which is a much-debated aspect of the larger dispute concerning philosophical ‘naturalism’ and ‘anti-naturalism’. A taxonomy of possible views is offered. Section 3 looks more specifically at milder forms of naturalism about metaphysics, which attempt in various ways to make it ‘continuous’ with science while preserving some degree of autonomy for it. Section 4 adds some reflections on what might be regarded as the most pressing open problem when it comes to doing scientifically oriented metaphysics (but also when practising metaphysics or science in isolation): the problem concerning theory choice and the value of non-empirical factors in determining which explanation of certain phenomena should be preferred.
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