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- Title
Explosion of Being: Ideological Kinds in Theory Choice.
- Authors
Finocchiaro, Peter
- Abstract
In this paper, I develop a novel account of ideological kinds. I first present some conceptual territory regarding the use of Occam's Razor in minimizing ontological commitments. I then present the analogous device for minimizing ideological commitments, what I call the Comb. I argue that metaphysicians ought to use both or none at all. This means that those who endorse a principle of ontological parsimony ought to also endorse some principle of ideological parsimony, where we ought to prefer the metaphysical theory that employs less ideology. In support of one such principle, I propose a novel account of ideological kinds. I individuate ideological kinds based on the satisfaction of two conditions: interdefinability and sameness of syntactic category. Ultimately, I think this account is the best available. It does, however, produce surprising results. For instance, my account shows that quantifier pluralism is ideologically parsimonious. I end by replying to some objections.
- Subjects
ONTOLOGY; IDEOLOGY; METAPHYSICS; PLURALISM; NIHILISM (Philosophy); THEORY (Philosophy); WHOLE &; parts (Philosophy)
- Publication
Philosophical Quarterly, 2019, Vol 69, Issue 276, p486
- ISSN
0031-8094
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/pq/pqz005