George Molnar came to see that the solution to a number of the
problems of contemporary philosophy lay in the development of an
alternative to Hume's metaphysics. This alternative would have real
causal powers at its centre. Molnar set about developing a thorough
account of powers that might persuade those who remained, perhaps
unknowingly, in the grip of Humean assumptions. He succeeded in
producing something both highly focused and at the same time
wide-ranging. He showed both that the notion of a power was central
and that it could serve to dispel a number of long-standing
philosophical problems. Molnar's account of powers is as realist as
any that has so far appeared. He shows that dispositions are as real
as any other properties. Specifically, they do not depend for their
existence on their manifestations. Nevertheless, they are directed
towards such manifestations. Molnar thus appropriates the notion of
intentionality, from Brentano, and argues that it is the essential
characteristic of powers. He offers a persuasive case for there being
some basic and ungrounded powers, thus ruling out the reducibility of
the dispositional to the non-dispositional. However, he does allow
that there are non-power properties as well as power properties. In
this respect, his final position is dualistic. This is contemporary
metaphysics of the highest quality. It is a work that was almost
complete when its author died. It has been edited for publication by
another specialist in the subject, Stephen Mumford, who has also
provided an introduction that will allow non-specialists to become
acquainted with the issues. David Armstrong, one of the greatest
living metaphysicians and personal friend of George Molnar, has
provided a Foreword.
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A Study in Metaphysics
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780191514012
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Vendor
Clarendon Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter