Material Objects (Elements in Metaphysics)

This Element is a survey of central topics in the metaphysics of material objects. The topics are grouped into four problem spaces. The first concerns how an object's parts are related to the object's existence and to the object's nature, or essence. The second concerns how an object persists through time, how an object is located in spacetime, and how an object changes. The third concerns paradoxes about objects, including paradoxes of coincidence, paradoxes of fission, and the problem of the many. The fourth concerns views with radical consequences regarding the existence of composite material objects, including mereological nihilism, ontological anti-realism, and deflationism. Cover Title page Copyright page Material Objects Contents Overview 1 Parts 1.1 Composition and Existence 1.2 Mereological Restrictivism and Universalism 1.2.1 The Specification Objection 1.2.2 The Indeterminacy Objection 1.2.3 The Strangeness Objection 1.2.4 The Economy Objection 1.3 Structured and Unstructured Objects 2 Persistence 2.1 Endurance and Perdurance 2.1.1 First Question: How Does a Continuant Persist Through Time? 2.1.2 Second Question: How Is a Continuant Located in Spacetime? 2.2 Change and Collapse 2.3 Persistence and Relativity 3 Paradox 3.1 Paradoxes of Coincidence 3.1.1 Monism about Coincidence 3.1.2 Pluralism about Coincidence 3.1.3 Compatibilism about Coincidence 3.2 Paradoxes of Fission 3.2.1 Incompatibilism about Fission 3.2.2 Compatibilism about Fission 3.3 The Problem of the Many 4 Existence 4.1 Mereological Nihilism, Experience, and Science 4.1.1 Experience 4.1.2 Science 4.2 Ontological Realism and Anti-Realism 4.3 Deflationism about the Ontology of Objects References Acknowledgement "This Element is a survey of central topics in the metaphysics of material objects. The topics are grouped into four problem spaces. The first concerns how an object's parts are related to the object's existence and to the object's nature or essence. The second concerns how an object persists through time, how an object is located in spacetime, and how an object changes. The third concerns paradoxes of fission, and the problem of the many. The fourth concerns views with radical consequences regarding the existence of composite material objects, including mereological nihilism, ontological anti-realism, and deflationism"--back cover