More kinds of being : a further study of individuation, identity, and the logic of sortal terms

In More Kinds Of Being, E. J. Lowe, One Of The World's Most Distinguished Contemporary Metaphysicians, Thoroughly Reworks And Expands Upon The Philosophical Concepts First Put Forth In His Acclaimed Book, Kinds Of Being (blackwell, 1989). Taking Into Account Significant Developments In His Metaphysical Thinking Over The Past Twenty Years, Lowe Delves Deeper Into The Fundamental Ontological Categories Into Which All Existing Entities Fall. While This New Volume Strengthens And Extends Many Of His Original Arguments, Lowe's Focus Remains On The Category Of Kinds Or Sorts And Their Individual Instances - The Latter Being Persisting Objects, Which Exist At Every Level Of The Spatial Scale From Galaxies To Atoms And Include, As An Especially Important Case, Persons Such As Ourselves. He Proceeds To Show That While An Object Of One Sort Is Occasionally Constituted By, But Not Identical With, An Object Of Another Sort, Persons Appear Not To Be Constituted By Anything, Making Them Special Among The Beings That Populate The Universe. Lowe Also Reveals Why The Category Of Kinds Or Sorts Plays A Crucial Role In Our Understanding Of Scientific Laws And Of The Dispositional Properties Or Powers Of Things - A Role Which Requires Us To Rethink The Very Foundations Of Modern Logic In Order To Accommodate The Logical Relations Between Law Statements And Disposition Statements. --book Jacket. Introduction -- The Varieties Of Is -- Individuals, Kinds, And Realism -- Semantics, Metaphysics, And Necessity -- New Developments -- Sortal Terms And Criteria Of Identity -- Individuals, Sorts, And Instantiation -- Number, Unity, And Individuality -- The Absoluteness Of Identity : A Defence -- Appendix: Some Formal Principles And Arguments -- Identity And Constitution -- Parts And Wholes -- Persons And Their Bodies -- Matter And Organisms -- Organisms And Persons -- Is There A Criterion Of Personal Identity? -- Sortal Terms And Natural Laws -- Plural Quantification And Sortal Reference -- Laws, Dispositions, And Sortal Logic -- Appendix: An Axiomatic System Of Sortal Logic -- What Sorts Of Things Are There? -- The Syntax And Semantics Of Complex Sortal Terms -- On The Identity Of Sorts. E.j. Lowe. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [217]-222) And Index. More Kinds of Being......Page 2 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 14 1 Introduction......Page 16 The Varieties of 'Is'......Page 18 Individuals, Kinds, and Realism......Page 19 Semantics, Metaphysics, and Necessity......Page 21 New Developments......Page 23 2 Sortal Terms and Criteria of Identity......Page 27 3 Individuals, Sorts, and Instantiation......Page 44 4 Number, Unity, and Individuality......Page 57 5 The Absoluteness of Identity: A Defence......Page 72 Appendix: Some Formal Principles and Arguments......Page 87 6 Identity and Constitution......Page 92 7 Parts and Wholes......Page 107 Matter and Organisms......Page 119 Organisms and Persons......Page 128 Is There a Criterion of Personal Identity?......Page 140 9 Sortal Terms and Natural Laws......Page 156 10 Plural Quantification and Sortal Reference......Page 179 11 Laws, Dispositions, and Sortal Logic......Page 194 Appendix: An Axiomatic System of Sortal Logic......Page 209 The Syntax and Semantics of Complex Sortal Terms......Page 213 On the Identity of Sorts......Page 227 Bibliography......Page 232 Index......Page 238 More Kinds of Being 2 Contents 8 Preface 10 Acknowledgements 14 1 Introduction 16 The Varieties of 'Is' 18 Individuals, Kinds, and Realism 19 Semantics, Metaphysics, and Necessity 21 New Developments 23 2 Sortal Terms and Criteria of Identity 27 3 Individuals, Sorts, and Instantiation 44 4 Number, Unity, and Individuality 57 5 The Absoluteness of Identity: A Defence 72 Appendix: Some Formal Principles and Arguments 87 6 Identity and Constitution 92 7 Parts and Wholes 107 8 Persons and Their Bodies 119 Matter and Organisms 119 Organisms and Persons 128 Is There a Criterion of Personal Identity? 140 9 Sortal Terms and Natural Laws 156 10 Plural Quantification and Sortal Reference 179 11 Laws, Dispositions, and Sortal Logic 194 Appendix: An Axiomatic System of Sortal Logic 209 12 What Sorts of Things Are There? 213 The Syntax and Semantics of Complex Sortal Terms 213 On the Identity of Sorts 227 Bibliography 232 Index 238 9781405182560 Taking into account significant developments in the metaphysical thinking of E.J. Lowe over the past 20 years, "More Kinds of Being: A Further Study of Individuation, Identity, and the Logic of Sortal Terms" presents a thorough reworking and expansion of the 1989 edition of "Kinds of Being". This book brings many of the original ideas and arguments put forth in "Kinds of Being" thoroughly up-to-date in light of new developments. It features a thorough reworking and expansion of the earlier work, rather than just a new edition. It reflects the author's conversion to what he calls 'the four-category ontology, ' a metaphysical system that takes its inspiration from Aristotle. It provides a unified discussion of individuation and identity that should prove to be essential reading for philosophers working in metaphysics Taking into account significant developments in the metaphysical thinking of E.J. Lowe over the past 20 years, More Kinds of Being:A Further Study of Individuation, Identity, and the Logic of Sortal Terms presents a thorough reworking and expansion of the 1989 edition of Kinds of Being.: Brings many of the original ideas and arguments put forth in Kinds of Being thoroughly up to date in light of new developments; Features a thorough reworking and expansion of the earlier work, rather than just a new edition; Reflects the author's conversion to what he calls 'the four-category ontology, ' a met Taking into account significant developments in the metaphysical thinking of E. J. Lowe over the past 20 years, More Kinds of A Further Study of Individuation, Identity, and the Logic of Sortal Terms presents a thorough reworking and expansion of the 1989 edition of Kinds of Being .