Science in Metaphysics: Exploring the Metaphysics of Properties and Laws

Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 5

Against Dispositional Monism.............................................................................................. 11

1.1 Preliminaries: Two Distinct Issues ....................................................................................11

1.2 The Truthmaking Criterion for the Dispositional/Categorical Distinction ...................12

1.3 Arguing Against Dispositional Monism From the Actual Existence of Fundamental

Categorical Features ........................................................................................................................17

1.3.1 Spatiotemporal Relations as fundamental categorical features .............................18

1.3.1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................18

1.3.1.2 Spatiotemporal Relations and Subjunctive Conditionals in pre-GR theories ..21

1.3.1.3 Bird's Argument for the Dispositional Essence of Spatiotemporal Relations ..22

1.3.1.4 An Appraisal of the Argument .............................................................................24

1.3.1.5 A Nomic interpretation of Bird's counterfactual?..............................................31

Against Identity Theory and Neutral Monism.................................................................... 35

2.1 Identity Theory....................................................................................................................35

2.1.1 Problems for Identity Theory....................................................................................35

2.1.1.1 The objection from the independent variability of dispositionality with respect

to categoricality and vice versa. ..............................................................................................35

2.1.1.2 The one categoricality-multiple dispositionalities problem................................37

2.1.1.3 How can we understand (and justify) the 'surprising' triple identity?.............38

2.1.2 A Unique Categoricality? ..........................................................................................43

2.2 Neutral Monism ..................................................................................................................45

2.2.1 Neutral Monism and the Modified Ungrounded Argument...................................45

2.2.2 Agnosticism.................................................................................................................51

In Defence of Categorical Monism....................................................................................... 53

3.1 In defence of the categoricality of fundamental properties: the argument from

renormalisation ................................................................................................................................53

3.2 Objections ............................................................................................................................58

Categorical Monism and Quidditism................................................................................... 63

4.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................63

4.2 Versions of RNDV...............................................................................................................65

2

4.3 Defending RNDV ................................................................................................................72

4.3.1 The Permutation Difficulty........................................................................................72

4.3.2 Step 1: Rejecting the Transworld Existence of Fundamental Natural Properties74

4.3.3 Step 2: Adopting the Counterpart Framework .......................................................77

4.3.4 Two Versions of Property-Counterpart Theory Consistent with RNDV..............82

4.3.4.1 PCT1 (First Version of an RNDV-Friendly Property-Counterpart Theory) ...82

4.3.4.2 PCT2 (Second Version of an RNDV-Friendly Property-Counterpart Theory). 84

4.4 RNDV as the unique way of the de re modal representation of fundamental properties ............................................................................................................88

Further Objections to Categorical Monism........................................................................ 90

5.1 The Argument from the truthmakers of unmanifested dispositions. .............................90

5.2 The Argument from science: scientific practice. ..............................................................97

5.3 The Argument from science: the scientific characterisation of fundamental properties. ...........................................................................................................101

5.4 In no categorical terms? ...................................................................................................103

The Contingent Character of Categoricality and Dispositionality ................................. 109

6.1 The Metaphysical Contingency of Categorical Monism................................................109

6.2 Challenging Orthodoxy ....................................................................................................114

6.3 Objections ..........................................................................................................................116

6.4 The modified criterion of dispositionality/categoricality...............................................121

Do Nomic Relations Exist? ................................................................................................. 127

7.1 On the ontological status of nomic relations...................................................................128

7.2 Against DEAL: the case of symmetries and conservation laws ....................................135

7.3 Against DEAL: the 'constant' threat ..............................................................................139

7.3.1 Introduction. .............................................................................................................139

7.3.2 Objections to the rescue?.........................................................................................141

7.3.2.1 Objection to Premise (1)......................................................................................141

7.3.2.2 Objection to Premise (2)......................................................................................145

7.3.2.3 Objection to Premise (3)......................................................................................152

Metaphysical Features of Nomic Relations and Laws ..................................................... 162

8.1 The Modal Status of Laws of Nature...............................................................................162 3

8.1.1 Categorical Monistic Approaches ...........................................................................162

8.1.2 Dispositional Monistic Approaches.........................................................................165

8.1.3 An Argument for the Metaphysical Contingency of Laws ...................................167

8.2 Hybrid Nomic Relations ...................................................................................................171

8.3 The role of hybrid nomic relations in a M-world...........................................................177

Concluding remarks............................................................................................................ 182

References ............................................................................................................................ 185

Index ..................................................................................................................................... 193