This anthology provides a complete and self-contained introduction to metaphysics. Both an anthology and commentary, it contains an extensive collection of the best classical and contemporary readings on the subject, as well as substantial editorial material, which set the extracts in context and guide the reader through them. The book is divided into 10 sections, providing instructors with flexibility in designing and teaching a variety of courses.

Zusatztext An excellent volume. Impressive editorial skill is displayed in introducing the student to all of the venerable and central elements of metaphysics. Concise and elegant introductory essays for each theme guide the reader deftly through a judicious selection of over 50 classic readings. It is difficult to imagine a contemporary course in metaphysics that would not benefit from making substantial use of this most welcome resource Informationen zum Autor Tim Crane has taught philosophy at University College London since 1990. He took his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 1989.Katalin Farkas graduated in mathematics and philosophy from the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, and she took her PhD in philosophy from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1998. A complete and self-contained introduction to metaphysics, this anthology provides an extensive and varied collection of fifty-four of the best classical and contemporary readings on the subject. The readings are organized into ten sections: God, idealism and realism, being, universals and
particulars, necessity and contingency, causation, space and time, identity, mind and body, and freewill and determinism. It features a substantial general introduction and detailed section introductions that set the selections in context and guide readers through them. Discussion questions and
detailed guides to further reading are also included. Zusammenfassung This anthology provides an extensive and varied collection of the best classical and contemporary readings in metaphysics, as well as substantial editorial material, which set the extracts in context and guide the reader through them. The book is divided into 10 sections, providing instructors with flexibility in designing and teaching a variety of courses. It contains 54 important writings on metaphysics, with introductions to each section, discussion questions and detailed guides to further reading. Perfect for undergraduate courses, this book offers the ideal self-contained introduction to metaphysics. I GOD; 1. Why Anything? Why This?; 2. The five ways; 3. Extract from Natural Theology; 4. Extract from Proslogion; 5. Extract from Monadology; 6. Evil and omnipotence; II REALISM AND IDEALISM; INTRODUCTION; 7. Selection from Essay Concerning Human Understanding; 8. Selection from Three Dialogues; 9. Selection from Critique of Pure Reason; 10. Selection from Matter and Sense; 11. Realism; III BEING; INTRODUCTION; 12. Selection from Categories; 13. Selection from Essay Concerning Human Understanding; 14. Primitive Thisness and Primitive Identity; 15. On what there is; 16. Selection from Material Beings; 17. Can there be vague objects?; 18. Vague Identity: Evans misunderstood; PART IV UNIVERSALS AND PARTICULARS; INTRODUCTION; 19. Selections from Republic and Parmenides; 20. Selection from Universals: An Opinionated Introduction; 21. Selection from New work for a theory of universals; 22. On the Elements of Being: I; 23. Causality and Properties; PART V NECESSITY; INTRODUCTION; 24. Selection from Naming and Necessity; 25. Selection from On the Plurality of Worlds; 26. Actualism and Possible Worlds; 27. Selection from A Combinational Theory of Possibility; PART VI CAUSATION; INTRODUCTION; 28. Selection from Metaphysics; 29. Selection from Enquiy Concerning Human Understanding; 30. Causation; 31. Causal Relations; 32. Selections from The Faces of Causation; VII TIME AND SPACE; INTRODUCTION; 33. Selection from Physics; 34. Selection from The Nature of Existence; 35. Changes in Events and Changes in Things; 36. Selection from Asymmetries in Time; 37. Selection from The Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence; 38. The space-time world; 39. The Paradoxes of Time Travel; PART VIII IDENTITY; INTRODUCTION; 40. Identity through Time; 41. Selection from On the Plurality of Worlds; 42. Personal Identity; 43. Persons, Animals, and Ourselves; PART IX MIND AND BODY; INTR...

Autorentext

Tim Crane has taught philosophy at University College London since 1990. He took his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 1989. Katalin Farkas graduated in mathematics and philosophy from the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, and she took her PhD in philosophy from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1998.

Klappentext

This anthology provides an extensive and varied collection of the best classical and contemporary readings in metaphysics, as well as substantial editorial material, which set the extracts in context and guide the reader through them. The book is divided into 10 sections, providing instructors with flexibility in designing and teaching a variety of courses. It contains 54 important writings on metaphysics, with introductions to each section, discussion questions and detailed guides to further reading. Perfect for undergraduate courses, this book offers the ideal self-contained introduction to metaphysics.

Zusammenfassung
Provides an introduction to metaphysics. This anthology contains a collection of classical and contemporary readings on the subject, as well as substantial editorial material, which sets the extracts in context and guides readers through them. Divided into 10 sections, it provides instructors with flexibility in teaching a variety of courses.

Inhalt

• I God
• 1: Derek Parfit: Why Anything? Why This?
• 2: Thomas Aquinas: The five ways
• 3: William Paley: Extract from Natural Theology
• 4: Anselm of Canterbury: Extract from Proslogion
• 5: G.W. Leibniz: Extract from Monadology
• 6: J.L. Mackie: Evil and omnipotence
• II Realism and Idealism
• Introduction
• 7: John Locke: Selection from Essay Concerning Human Understanding
• 8: George Berkeley: Selection from Three Dialogues
• 9: Immanuel Kant: Selection from Critique of Pure Reason
• 10: Selection from Matter and Sense
• 11: Michael Dummett: Realism
• III Being
• Introduction
• 12: Aristotle: Selection from Categories
• 13: John Locke: Selection from Essay Concerning Human Understanding
• 14: Robert Merrihew Adams: Primitive Thisness and Primitive Identity
• 15: W.V. Quine: On what there is
• 16: Peter van Inwagen: Selection from Material Beings
• 17: Gareth Evans: Can there be vague objects?
• 18: David Lewis: Vague Identity: Evans misunderstood
• Part IV Universals and Particulars
• Introduction
• 19: Plato: Selections from Republic and Parmenides
• 20: D.M. Armstrong: Selection from Universals: An Opinionated Introduction
• 21: David Lewis: Selection from New work for a theory of universals
• 22: Donald C. Williams: On the Elements of Being: I
• 23: Sydney Shoemaker: Causality and Properties
• Part V Necessity
• Introduction
• 24: Saul Kripke: Selection from Naming and Necessity
• 25: David Lewis: Selection from On the Plurality of Worlds
• 26: Alvin Plantinga: Actualism and Possible Worlds
• 27: D.M. Armstrong: Selection from A Combinational Theory of Possibility
• Part VI Causation
• Introduction
• 28: Aristotle: Selection from Metaphysics
• 29: David Hume: Selection from Enquiy Concerning Human Understanding
• 30: David Lewis: Causation
• 31: Donald Davidson: Causal Relations
• 32: D.H. Mellor: Selections from The Faces of Causation
• VII Time and Space
• Introduction
• 33: Aristotle: Selection from Physics
• 34: J.M.E McTaggart: Selection from The Nature of Existence
• 35: Arthur N. Prior: Changes i…