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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 1. Ontologies

[nature of our theories about fundamental reality]

15 ideas
Three main questions seem to be whether a thing is, what it is, and what sort it is [Augustine]
Existence questions are 'internal' (within a framework) or 'external' (concerning the whole framework) [Carnap]
Positivists regard ontology as either meaningless or stipulated [Ayer, by Robinson,H]
Quine's ontology is wrong; his question is scientific, and his answer is partly philosophical [Fine,K on Quine]
Ontology is (and always has been) Cantorian mathematics [Badiou]
Ontology is the same as the conceptual foundations of logic [Jacquette]
For ontology we need, not internal or external views, but a view from outside reality [Fine,K]
Ontologists seek existence and identity conditions, and modal and epistemic status for a thing [Swoyer]
'Ontology' means 'study of things which exist' [Maslin]
Existence theories must match experience, possibility, logic and knowledge, and not be self-defeating [Moreland]
Ontology disputes rest on more basic explanation disputes [Haslanger]
A metaphysic is a set of wider explanations derived from a basic ontology [Williams,NE]
Humeans say properties are passive, possibility is vast, laws are descriptions, causation is weak [Williams,NE]
We shouldn't posit the existence of anything we have a word for [Williams,NE]
The status quo is part of what exists, and so needs metaphysical explanation [Williams,NE]