
Chains of Being
Infinite Regress, Circularity, and Metaphysical Explanation
Ross P. Cameron(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published on 14. April 2022
Book
Hardback
266 pages
978-0-19-885427-2 (ISBN)
Description
In Chains of Being, Ross P. Cameron argues for both Metaphysical Infinitism, the view that there can be infinitely descending chains of ontological dependence or grounding, with no bottom level of fundamental things or facts, and Metaphysical Holism, the view that there can be circles of ontological dependence or grounding. Cameron argues against the widespread orthodoxy of Metaphysical Foundationalism: that everything in reality is ultimately accounted for by a base class of fundamental phenomena. In doing so, he makes the case against another widespread orthodoxy: that relations like grounding and ontological dependence are explanatory relations. Cameron provides an alternative account of metaphysical explanation that does not tie explanation to determination relations like grounding and ontological dependence, and he shows how explanation works in infinitist and holistic metaphysics. Embracing the possibility of infinite regress and circularity can be theoretically fruitful, as is shown by applying it to a number of cases across a wide range of philosophical areas, including: non-well-founded set theory, mathematical structuralism, the metaphysics of persons, the metaphysics of gender and sexuality, the semantic paradoxes, and others. In the course of exploring these applications, Cameron defends distinctive views concerning when an infinite regress is vicious, the nature of truth, non-classical logic and dialetheism, social construction, and more.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
21 black-and-white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 158 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
534 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-885427-2 (9780198854272)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
03/2022
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€54.49
Available for download

E-Book
03/2022
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€54.49
Available for download
Person
Ross P. Cameron is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Virginia. He is the author of The Moving Spotlight (OUP, 2015), and numerous papers in the philosophy of time, modality, ontology and truth, the philosophy of logic, mereology, the metaphysics of properties, and other areas.
Content
Introduction
1: Infinite Regress
2: Set Theory, Infinite Regress, and Circularity
3: Regress and Explanation
4: Circles of Dependence
5: Grounding, Circularity, and Regress
Conclusion
1: Infinite Regress
2: Set Theory, Infinite Regress, and Circularity
3: Regress and Explanation
4: Circles of Dependence
5: Grounding, Circularity, and Regress
Conclusion