Ontology, Identity, and Modality Essays in Metaphysics [Hardcover]

Thirteen of Peter van Inwagen's essays on metaphysics, with a specially-written introduction.This book gathers together thirteen of Peter van Inwagen's essays on metaphysics, several of which have acquired the status of modern classics in their field. They range widely across such topics as Quine's philosophy of quantification, the ontology of fiction, the part-whole relation, the theory of 'temporal parts', and human knowledge of modal truths. A specially-written introduction completes the collection, which will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in metaphysics.This book gathers together thirteen of Peter van Inwagen's essays on metaphysics, several of which have acquired the status of modern classics in their field. They range widely across such topics as Quine's philosophy of quantification, the ontology of fiction, the part-whole relation, the theory of 'temporal parts', and human knowledge of modal truths. A specially-written introduction completes the collection, which will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in metaphysics.This book gathers together thirteen of Peter van Inwagen's essays on metaphysics, several of which have acquired the status of modern classics in their field. They range widely across such topics as Quine's philosophy of quantification, the ontology of fiction, the part-whole relation, the theory of temporal parts, and human knowledge of modal truths. A specially-written introduction completes the collection, which will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in metaphysics.Introduction; Part I. Ontology: 1. Meta-ontology; 2. Why I don't understand substitutional quantification; 3. Creatures of fiction; 4. Why is there anything at all? Part II. Identity: 5. The doctrine of arbitrary undetached parts; 6. Composition as identity; 7. Four-dimensional objects; 8. Temporal parts and identity across time; 9. Materialism and the psychological-continuity account of personal identity; Part III. Modality: 10. Indexil#