Analytic Metaphysics: "On What Grounds What," Jonathan Schaffer II

Current text:

* “Metaphysics, An Anthology,” 2nd edition, edited by Kim, Korman, and Sosa

Primary reading assignment:

* "On What Grounds What," Jonathan Schaffer
* Optional pre-discussion discussion at 1:30p PT: "Monism: The Priority of the Whole," Jonathan Schaffer. This will be discussed in overview, as a big picture, and as a compliment to the discussion taking place at 2:00p.

Suggested supplementary reading assignments:
Schaffer references too many interesting papers and books for me to confidently select those that I believe most worthy of our time. Below, please find a list of papers that I'll be considering, both those I found and those I was unable to find (but which I hope one of you is able to find and share with us).

* In #-⁠metaphysics-resources
* "The Question of Realism," Kit Fine,
* "The Question of Ontology," Kit Fine,
* "From Physics to Physicalism," Barry Loewer,
* "Proof of an External World," G. E. Moore,
* "Carnap, Quine and the Fate of Metaphysics," Huw Price,
* "The Least Discern and Most Promiscuous Truth Maker," Jonathan Schaffer,
* "Monism: The Priority of the Whole," Jonathan Schaffer,
* "Spacetime, the one substance," Jonathan Schaffer,
* "Quantification and Fictional Discourse," Peter Van Inwagen,
* "A Path Through Fictionalism," Stephen Yablo,

Not (as of the time of posting this) in #-⁠metaphysics-resources

* "Ontological Dependence," Kit Fine,
* "Substance in Aristotle's Metaphysics," Kit Fine,
* "Logic and Metaphysics in Some Earlier Works of Aristotle," G.E.L. Owen,
* "Aristotle on the Snares of Ontology," G.E.L. Owen,
* "Ontological Relativity," W.V.O. Quine

Upcoming Optional Pre-Discussion:
On December 13th, we'll have a 30-minute pre-discussion discussion about Donald Davidson's "What Metaphors Mean." This pre-discussion discussion was rescheduled from October 19th.

**Seminar Description**

In this seminar, which meets every other Saturday at 2:00p PT, we read and discuss essays and books about metaphysics from the analytic philosophy tradition. Typically, the primary reading assignment is a single essay or a single chapter from a book, while the suggested supplementary reading assignments are citations from the primary reading assignment.

Our discussions are focused on evaluating and debating the argument presented in the primary reading assignment. Because of this, attendees are expected to have read and understood the primary reading assignment before the meeting begins. The suggested supplementary reading assignments may run to dozens if not hundreds of pages and for this reason it’s not mandatory to have also read these prior to the meeting, though it’s encouraged that attendees read as much of these materials as possible. Those who have not read the primary reading assignment are welcome and may chat in writing with other attendees but may not participate verbally.

The goal of this seminar is to foster understandings of the topics explored by the analytic philosophy tradition related not only to metaphysics but also related topics in epistemology, ontology, logic, the philosophy of language, and the foundations of mathematics and the material sciences. While our intentions are serious, as I hope the formal language of this syllabus has conveyed, our discussions will be a shitshow as only befits the subject matter and its history, reflecting discussions and debates that have been ongoing not only for the relatively short history of analytic philosophy, but the history of philosophy in its entirety.

So please join us for lively, rambunctious, contentious, but hospitable and welcoming investigations into the very foundations of truth and reality!

**Hosting**

We meet on the Blinding Cyclops Discord server. You can join by clicking this link: [https://discord.gg/urPBsNTWuK](https://discord.gg/urPBsNTWuK). Channels related to this seminar can be found in the left hand column of the server under the category, “Analytic Metaphysics.” Reading assignments can be found in #metaphysics-schedule-and-readings; electronic copies of the reading assignments (when I can find them freely available online) can be found in #metaphysics-resources; general discussion related to this seminar can be found in #metaphysics-discussion. Our meetings occur in the voice/video channel titled “Metaphysics Meeting Room.”