Category: Science & Metaphysics

Reality:

• Two Conceptions of Objectivity - does objectivity require adding to, or taking away from, the initial subjective viewpoint?


• The Analytic Knife - Extract from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence, on how we grasp and understand reality.


• Multiplicities - A post about abstraction, its benefits, and the costs.


• Does the Past Matter? - If the universe was created from nothing in its present form (false memories etc. included), would that make any difference? See also Causal History vs. Causal Powers.


• Branching Timelines - Would it be possible for time-travellers to change the past?

Ontology:

• Ontological Commitment - Looks at Quine's formulation of ontological commitment, and how it allows us to talk of (e.g.) Pegasus without implying there is some existing thing (Pegasus) that we are talking about.


• Gappy Objects - is the fusion/sum of {apple + Mars} any less a single metaphysical object than the fusion of atoms that constitute the apple by itself? If so, what sets common-sense objects apart?


• Universals Overview - surveys the various positions in the 'universals debate'.


• Identity, Properties & Reduction - something I found puzzling


• Conceptual Nominalism - includes a basic overview of the universals debate in metaphysics, before I outline my own ideas on the matter.


• An introduction and defence of trope theory


• Lewis and im/possible worlds nominalism - discusses possible worlds nominalism, a problem with it, and a possible solution involving impossible worlds.


• An introduction to the particulars debate, with an emphasis on Bundle Theory, including the "identity of indiscernibles" objection.


• Mixed Metaphysics - Arguing that we can have reality (scientifically-informed metaphysics), or common-sense ('folk' metaphysics), but they shouldn't be confused.

Science:

• Now and Forever - How special relativity affects our understanding of time's existence, and the presentism vs eternalism debate. See also Presentism & Relativity.


• Is everything reducible to physics?


• A question about time slowing down as you approach the speed of light, and the answer.


• The Universe's Birth Song - listen to the 1st million years after the Big Bang, compressed into 5 seconds.


• The Physics of Free Will - Mathematicians make some rather strange claims.


• Artificial Life - the synthetic approach to biology.


• Foundations of Music - Does music rest upon abstract mathematics or concrete human speech?


• Science Links - some odds and ends. See also Bunch o' Links.


• Correlation is not Causation - Muddled psychologist claims that diary writing is bad for your health.


• Experts and Authority - Should we listen to qualified experts or traditional authority figures?


• Opposing ID - some thoughts on the Evolution vs. "Intelligent Design" Creationism debate.

Related Topics: For posts on free will, philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and related technology, see the Mind / CogSci category.

The topics of truth, modality, and fiction, can be found under Logic & Semantics.