Philosophy 2.0

Philosophy 2.0 is, I propose, the new version of philosophy which will return the subject to its former prestigious role as the fundamental, over-arching, unifying, synthesising discpline, fully integrated with science.

In this vein, Dr James Ladyman, of the University of Bristol, will deliver a talk entitled The Bankruptcy of Analytic Metaphysics, in the Philosophy department at Oxford tomorrow (Thursday 15th November, 4.30, Lecture Room, 10 Merton St.) I reproduce the abstract here:

Analytic metaphysics is becoming increasingly dominant in contemporary philosophy but its status and influence is undeserved and pernicious. The methodology of analytic metaphysics with its reliance on intuition and explanation by posit has no epistemological justification and its results have little or no epistemic value. Unless checked it threatens to discredit philosophy among non-philosophers and waste the talents of a host a graduate students as well as exerting a pernicious influence on other areas of philosophy

I will argue the case for the above claims with reference to recent debates about composition, gunk versus atoms, mental causation and Humean supervenience. I will argue for a naturalized metaphysics that engages with science.

James has also just published a survey of structural realism, which can be found here.