The Panenmentalist Philosophy of Science: From the Recognition of Individual Pure Possibilities to Actual Discoveries [Hardcover]

This book presents a philosophy of science, based on panenmentalism: an original modal metaphysics, which is realist about individual pure (non-actual) possibilities and rejects the notion of possible worlds. The book systematically constructs a new and novel way of understanding and explaining scientific progress, discoveries, and creativity. It demonstrates that a metaphysics of individual pure possibilities is indispensable for explaining and understanding mathematics and natural sciences. It examines the nature of individual pure possibilities, actualities, mind-dependent and mind-independent possibilities, as well as mathematical entities. It discusses in detail the singularity of each human being as a psychical possibility. It analyses striking scientific discoveries, and illustrates by means of examples of the usefulness and vitality of individual pure possibilities in the sciences.

Acknowledgments.- 1. Introduction.- 2. How Many Pure Possibilities Are There? Or Contra Actualism.- 3. A Panenmentalist Consideration of the Identity of Indiscernibles.- 4. Two Kinds of Discovery: An Ontological Account.- 5. Mathematical Possibilities and their Discovery.- 6. A Panenmentalist Approach to Molyneuxs Problem and Some Empirical Findings.- 7. Pure Possibilities and Some Striking Scientific Discoveries.- 8. The Philosophical Significance of Alan Mackays Theoretical Discovery of Quasicrystals.- 9. Shechtmans Three Question Marks: Possibility, Impossibility, and Quasicrystals.- 10. Eka-Elements as Chemical Pure Possibilities.- 11. Quantum Pure Possibility and Macroscopic Physics.- 12. Brain-images and the Human Mind.- 13. Neoteny and the Playground of Pure Possibilities.- 14. Milgrams Experience and Saving Possibilities.- 15. Singularity and Uniqueness: Why Is Our Immune System Subject to Psychological and Cognitive Traits?.- References.- Index.

Amihud Gileal)