The Problem of Universals in Contemporary Philosophy - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1107498341 ISBN 13: 9781107498341

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2018

Synopsis

Are there any universal entities? Or is the world populated only by particular things? The problem of universals is one of the most fascinating and enduring topics in the history of metaphysics, with roots in ancient and medieval philosophy. This collection of new essays provides an innovative overview of the contemporary debate on universals. Rather than focusing exclusively on the traditional opposition between realism and nominalism, the contributors explore the complexity of the debate and illustrate a broad range of positions within both the realist and the nominalist camps. Realism is viewed through the lens of the distinction between constituent and relational ontologies, while nominalism is reconstructed in light of the controversy over the notion of trope. The result is a fresh picture of contemporary metaphysics, in which traditional strategies of dealing with the problem of universals are both reaffirmed and called into question.

About this title

Book Description:

The problem of universals is one of the most fascinating and enduring topics in the history of metaphysics, with roots in ancient and medieval philosophy. The contributors to this book provide a critical, up-to-date and original overview of the contemporary debate on the problem of universals.

About the Author:

Gabriele Galluzzo is Lecturer in Ancient Philosophy in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter.

Michael J. Loux is George N. Shuster Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1107498341
• ISBN 13: 9781107498341
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 241
• Editor: Galluzzo Gabriele