Neo-Aristotelian Perspectives in Metaphysics

353 Pages·2014·1.33 MB·English

by  Daniel D. Novotný (ed.)

Neo-Aristotelian Perspectives
in Metaphysics
This impressive collection of papers makes an important contribution
to the tradition of neo-Aristotelian metaphysics. The book provides a
good starting point for those interested in the tradition and is crucial
reading for those working in it. The diversity of topics discussed and
the historical background provided by the authors makes the collection
comprehensive and accessible for readers from different traditions.
It will be of interest to anyone who wants to stay up-to-date with
contemporary analytic metaphysics and the increasingly popular neo-
Aristotelian approach.
—Tuomas E. Tahko, University of Helsinki, Finland
T his book is a valuable and distinguished contribution to an important
body of contemporary work in Neo-Aristotelian metaphysics, providing
a distinguished and useful resource for scholars.
—Gary Rosenkrantz,U niversity of
North Carolina at Greensboro
T his volume re-examines some of the major themes at the intersection of tra-
ditional and contemporary metaphysics. The book uses as a point of depar-
ture Francisco Suárez’s Metaphysical Disputations, published in 1597. Minimalist
metaphysics in empiricist/pragmatist clothing has today become mainstream
in analytic philosophy. Independent of this development, the progress of schol-
arship in ancient and mediæval philosophy makes clear that traditional forms
of metaphysics have affi nities with some of the streams in contemporary ana-
lytic metaphysics. The book brings together leading contemporary metaphysi-
cians to investigate the viability of a neo-Aristotelian metaphysics.
Daniel D. Novotný is a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Theology, Uni-
versity of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Lukáš Novák is an assistant professor of philosophy at the Faculty of Arts and
Philosophy, Charles University, Prague, and Faculty of Theology, University of
South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Routledge Studies in Metaphysics
1 The Semantics and Metaphysics 6 The Puzzle of Existence
of Natural Kinds Why Is There Something Rather
Edited by Helen Beebee and Nigel than Nothing?
Sabbarton-Leary Edited by Tyron Goldschmidt
2 The Metaphysics of Powers 7 Neo-Davidsonian Metaphysics
Their Grounding and Their From the True to the Good
Manifestations Samuel C. Wheeler III
Edited by Anna Marmodoro
8 Neo-Aristotelian Perspectives in
3 Freedom of the Will Metaphysics
A Conditional Analysis Edited by Daniel D. Novotný and
Ferenc Huoranski Lukáš Novák
4 The Future of the Philosophy of
Time
Edited by Adrian Bardon
5 Properties, Powers and Structures
Issues in the Metaphysics of
Realism
Edited by Alexander Bird, Brian
Ellis, and Howard Sankey
Neo-Aristotelian Perspectives
in Metaphysics
Edited by Daniel D. Novotný
and Lukáš Novák
First published 2014
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,
an informa business
© 2014 Taylor & Francis
The right of the editors to be identifi ed as the author of the editorial
material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been
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Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Neo-Aristotelian perspectives in metaphysics / edited by
Daniel D. Novotný and Lukáš Novák.
pages cm. — (Routledge studies in metaphysics ; 8)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Aristotle. 2. Metaphysics. I. Novotný, Daniel,
editor of compilation.
B491.M4N46 2013
110—dc23
2013030042
ISBN: 978-0-415-70939-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-88555-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Gentium
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
The editors dedicate this work to their teachers,
Jorge J. E. Gracia and Stanislav Sousedík,
and to the memory of E. Jonathan Lowe,
who passed away before he could see this book printed.
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Contents
Why Metaphysics? A Rather Ambitious Introduction 1
DANIEL D. NOVOTNÝ AND LUKÁŠ NOVÁK
PART I
What Is Metaphysics?
What Is Metaphysics? Realist, Conceptualist,
and Neutralist Answers 19
JORGE J. E. GRACIA
PART II
Being and Its Properties
Existence: Two Dogmas of Analysis 45
WILLIAM F. VALLICELLA
Being and One 76
E. JONATHAN LOWE
Being, the Good, and the Guise of the Good 84
EDWARD FESER
Being and Cognition 104
GYULA KLIMA
viii Contents
PART III
Causes and Principles of Being
Essentiality as Foundationality 119
MICHAEL GORMAN
Aristotle’s Hylomorphism 138
MICHAEL J. LOUX
Is Form Structure? 164
DAVID S. ODERBERG
Aristotelian Agent-Causation 181
EDMUND RUNGGALDIER
PART IV
Varieties of Being
Materiality and Immateriality 201
UWE MEIXNER
Quantity and Number 221
JAMES FRANKLIN
PART V
Divine Being
God’s Existence 247
ROBERT C. KOONS
Divine Self-Existence 269
WILLIAM LANE CRAIG
PART VI
Beyond Being
Non-Existence and Non-Existents 299
NICHOLAS RESCHER
Contents ix
Contributors 313
About the Editors 315
Index of Greek Terms and Phrases 317
General Index 319
Index of Persons 339