Macroscopic Metaphysics
Macroscopic Metaphysics

Author: Paul Needham

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-01-08

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 3319709992

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This book is about our ordinary concept of matter in the form of enduring continuants and the processes in which they are involved in the macroscopic realm. It emphasises what science rather than philosophical intuition tells us about the world, and chemistry rather than the physics that is more usually encountered in philosophical discussions. The central chapters dealing with the nature of matter pursue key steps in the historical development of scientific conceptions of chemical substance. Like many contemporary discussions of material objects, it relies heavily on mereology. The classical principles are applied to the mereological structure of regions of space, intervals of time, processes and quantities of matter. Quantities of matter, which don’t gain or lose parts over time, are distinguished from individuals, which are typically constituted of different quantities of matter at different times. The proper treatment of the temporal aspect of the features of material objects is a central issue in this book, which is addressed by investigating the conditions governing the application of predicates relating time and other entities. Of particular interest here are relations between quantities of matter and times expressing substance kind, phase and mixture. Modal aspects of these features are taken up in the final chapter.

Physics, Metaphysics, and God - Third Edition
Physics, Metaphysics, and God - Third Edition

Author: Jack W. Geis

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2010-07

Total Pages: 430

ISBN-13: 1452046603

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"At long last, a promising dialogue between science and medicine has begun. A focal point of this discussion is healing and how it happens. Jack W. Geis shows how modern physics and spirituality are centrally involved in this debate. No one who is interested in the current interface between science, spirituality and medicine can afford to neglect his ideas."—Larry Dossey, MD, Author: Healing Beyond the Body, and Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine "This book introduces some of the most perplexing and exciting aspects of the revolution going on in physics today as it continues toward an increasingly metaphysical basis for defining reality. This exciting scientific revolution should be shared by everyone and the issues taken up in this book form a basis for that participation. That the math is not in the chalk is becoming increasingly evident, as well as the question as to which is more substantial."—Dr. Laurance R. Doyle, Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute

Decoding Jung's Metaphysics
Decoding Jung's Metaphysics

Author: Bernardo Kastrup

Publisher: John Hunt Publishing

Published: 2021-02-26

Total Pages: 147

ISBN-13: 1789045665

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More than an insightful psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung was the twentieth century's greatest articulator of the primacy of mind in nature, a view whose origins vanish behind the mists of time. Underlying Jung's extraordinary body of work, and providing a foundation for it, there is a broad and sophisticated system of metaphysical thought. This system, however, is only implied in Jung's writings, so as to shield his scientific persona from accusations of philosophical speculation. The present book scrutinizes Jung’s work to distil and reveal that extraordinary, hidden metaphysical treasure: for Jung, mind and world are one and the same entity; reality is fundamentally experiential, not material; the psyche builds and maintains its body, not the other way around; and the ultimate meaning of our sacrificial lives is to serve God by providing a reflecting mirror to God’s own instinctive mentation. Embodied in this compact volume is a journey of discovery through Jungian thoughtscapes never before revealed with the depth, force and scholarly rigor you are about to encounter.

A Companion to Metaphysics
A Companion to Metaphysics

Author: Jaegwon Kim

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2009-03-12

Total Pages: 680

ISBN-13: 9781444308532

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Fully extended and revised, A Companion to Metaphysics 2ndEdition includes a section of detailed review essays fromrenowned metaphysicians, and the addition of more than 30 newencyclopedic entries, taking the number of entries to over 300. Includes revisions to existing encyclopedic entries Features more than 30 all-new "A to Z" entries Offers a section of in-depth, essays from renownedmetaphysicians Provides the most complete and up-to-date reference guide forstudents and professionals alike

Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science
Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science

Author: Matthew H. Slater

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 019936320X

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This volume of new essays, written by leading philosophers of science, explores a broadly methodological question: what role should metaphysics play in our philosophizing about science? The essays address this question both through ground-level investigations of particular issues in the metaphysics of science and by more general methodological investigations.

Oxford Studies in Metaphysics
Oxford Studies in Metaphysics

Author: Dean Zimmerman

Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand

Published: 2010-01-07

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 0199575789

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Oxford Studies in Metaphysics is the forum for the best new work in this flourishing field. This fifth volume is largely focused on the metaphysics of time, with sections on time travel; persistence through time; and time, space, and location. Anyone who wants to know what's happening in metaphysics can start here.

Neo-Aristotelian Metaphysics and the Theology of Nature
Neo-Aristotelian Metaphysics and the Theology of Nature

Author: William M.R. Simpson

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2021-10-10

Total Pages: 463

ISBN-13: 1000480674

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This book explores the relationship between a scientifically updated Aristotelian philosophy of nature and a scientifically engaged theology of nature. It features original contributions by some of the best scholars engaging with Aristotelianism in contemporary metaphysics, philosophy of science, and philosophical theology. Despite the growing interest in Aristotelian approaches to contemporary philosophy of science, few metaphysicians have engaged directly with the question of how a neo-Aristotelian metaphysics of nature might change the landscape for theological discussion concerning theology and naturalism, the place of human beings within nature, or the problem of divine causality. The chapters in this volume are collected into three thematic sections: Naturalism and Nature, Mind and Nature, and God and Nature. By pushing the current boundaries of neo-Aristotelian metaphysics to recover the traditional notion of substantial forms in physics, reframe the principle of proportionality in biology, and restore the hierarchy of being familiar to ancient philosophy, this book advances a metaphysically unified framework that accommodates both scientific and theological knowledge, enriching the interaction between science, philosophy and theology. Neo-Aristotelian Metaphysics and the Theology of Nature will be of interest to scholars and advanced students working in metaphysics, philosophy of science, natural theology, philosophical theology, and analytic theology. Chapters 1, 2, and 7 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Constructivism and the Metaphysics of Qualitative Research
Constructivism and the Metaphysics of Qualitative Research

Author: John Paley

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2024-09-30

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 1040152325

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This book challenges the widespread assumption that a necessary preliminary to qualitative research is the formulation of ontological and epistemological beliefs. It argues that the metaphysical claims which supposedly underpin different approaches to social research do not make sense. Literally. Sentences such as ‘There is a single objective reality’ and ‘There are multiple constructed realities’ fail to make information-providing statements. They do not refer or describe. Despite appearances, they say nothing about reality (or realities) at a fundamental level, so they cannot be used to justify, ground, or align with, methodological decisions. The ‘necessary preliminary’ turns out not to be necessary at all; and we can dispense with, not just ‘paradigms’, but metaphysical underpinnings in general, whether structured as paradigms or not. Drawing on Wittgenstein’s later philosophy, Carnap’s metametaphysics, and contemporary linguistics, the book suggests that the metaphysical claims of qualitative texts can be reinterpreted as performative. Ontological and epistemological beliefs are resolutions and proposals, recommendations for the use of language. They form part of a creed by means of which researchers enact the joining of an academic community. Written in Paley’s trademark clear, accessible and conversational style, the book points to a revolution in our understanding of the relation between metaphysics and social research. It will be essential reading for anyone interested in qualitative research and its philosophical foundations.

The Epochal Nature of Process in Whitehead's Metaphysics
The Epochal Nature of Process in Whitehead's Metaphysics

Author: F. Bradford Wallack

Publisher: SUNY Press

Published: 1980-01-01

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 9780873954044

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"While my book attempts to reflect the full range of scholarly debate, I have also attempted to make it useful to anyone interested in Whitehead. To this end, I have introduced the Whiteheadian terms one by one, explaining each in the light of my interpretation, and I have used examples wherever possible. I try to show that Whitehead intended his philosophy have a place in our lives by reshaping our common conceptions, and that he did not intend it to be relegated to purely abstract or esoteric application." -- F. Bradford Wallack The twentieth century has seen the greatest innovations in philosophical cosmology since Newton and Descartes, and Alfred North Whitehead was the first and greatest of the philosophers to work out these innovations in systematic ways. In a book that will be controversial in the philosophical community, F. Bradford Wallack argues that interpretations widely accepted by Whiteheadians need revaluation because these interpretations are based on materialist and substantialist assumptions that Whitehead sought to replace. Specifically, she proposes a thorough revision of accepted interpretations of Whitehead's concept of the actual entity. Wallack then elucidates Whitehead's ideas in order of their increasing dependence upon other basic Whiteheadian terms to complete the study of Whiteheadian time and to clarify its purpose within the cosmology of Process and Reality. Whitehead's philosophy then emerges as more intelligible and cohesive than is generally believed.

Philosophical Perspectives in Quantum Chemistry
Philosophical Perspectives in Quantum Chemistry

Author: Olimpia Lombardi

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-05-16

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 3030983730

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This book explores the philosophy and the foundations of quantum chemistry. It features chapters written by experts in the field. The contributions analyze quantum chemistry as a discipline, in particular, its relation with both chemistry and physics from the viewpoint of realism and reduction. Coverage includes such topics as quantum chemistry as an “in-between” discipline, molecular structure and quantum mechanics, quantum chemical models, and atoms and molecules in quantum chemistry. The interest of this book is twofold. First, the contributions aim to update and refresh the discussions regarding the foundations of quantum chemistry. Second, they seek to develop new philosophical perspectives that this discipline can suggest to philosophers of science. From its origins, quantum chemistry filled a problematic position in the disciplinary space. On the one hand, it is a branch of theoretical chemistry. On the other hand, it appeals essentially to theoretical tools coming from physics. This peculiar position triggered conceptual questions about its own identity. Inside this book, readers will find updated discussions on the foundations and the philosophy of this complex discipline.