Fundamentality and Ontological Minimality

Tuomas E. Tahko*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter in a book

15 Citations (Scopus)
131 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In this chapter, a generic definition of fundamentality as an ontological minimality thesis is sought and its applicability examined. Many discussions of fundamentality are focused on a mereological understanding of the hierarchical structure of reality, which may be combined with an atomistic, object-oriented metaphysics. But recent work in structuralism, for instance, calls for an alternative understanding and it is not immediately clear that the conception of fundamentality at work in structuralism is commensurable with the mereological conception. However, it is proposed that once we understand fundamentality as an ontological minimality thesis, these two as well as further conceptions of fundamentality can all be treated on a par, including metaphysical infinitism of the ‘boring’ type, where the same structure repeats infinitely.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationReality and its Structure
Subtitle of host publicationEssays in Fundamentality
EditorsRicki Bliss, Graham Priest
PublisherOxford University Press
Chapter12
Pages237-253
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)9780198755630
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Jun 2018

Keywords

  • Composition
  • Fundamentality
  • Gunk
  • Mereological atomism
  • Mereology
  • Metaphysical foundationalism
  • Metaphysical infinitism
  • Ontic structural realism
  • Ontological dependence

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