Study Guide 1: Topics in Metaphysics
This study guide covers the first 5 weeks of the class.
Jeffrey Grupp, Department of Philosophy
Click here to go to the class syllabus
Atomism
Indian Buddhist atomism: Momentary atoms
Identity, Parmenides, and Change over Time (the "Parmenidean argument")
Buddhist atoms
Replacement Presentism, R-theory (see Jubien page 159)
Reading assignment: Handout: [IIJBS paper ]
Buddhist causation, emptiness: Buddhist Void and R-theory
Types of atoms (philosophic atoms)
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Buddhist atoms |
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Greek atoms |
Realism and Conceptualism
Realism
Property possession. Reading assignment: Jubien section 1.2 (pp. 12-18), ch. 2, and ch.3.
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Universals and particulars |
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Substances and Substance Theory |
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Metaphysical Realism |
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Substance theory |
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Bradley's Regress |
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Exemplification Tie |
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The Blob Theory Argument |
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Conceptualism/Worldmaking |
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The Blob Theory Argument |
The Bare Particular (as an attempt to a solution to the problem of change)
Reading assignment: Click here.
Blob Theory
Atomist and quantum reality versus attribute reality
Religious issues to do with atomism
Greek atomism: Eternal atoms
(Also called Democritean atomism; for clarification, see
Yandell page 114 first full paragraph on that page.)
Reading assignment: Handout: Stanford Encyclopedia entry on Democritus [click here]
Space
Space Atoms (and the argument for them)