Dan López de Sa

Derivative Metaphysics—The Existence and Significance of the non-Fundamental

Arguably, not everything is fundamental: some things ground other things. Some contemporary analytic metaphysicians have been primarily concerned with the ultimate, fundamental structure of reality. But many traditional debates in metaphysics involve entities that, on many views at least, are not fundamental but derivative, grounded in other, more basic things.

The main objectives of the present proposal are, on the one hand, to contribute to the recent literature trying to clarify and articulate the notion of grounding, and to defend the existence and reality of the derivative; and on the other, to illustrate its significance, by exploring in this light five different specific issues in metaphysics that, on the face of it, involve the derivative, on which the members of the research team have worked in recent years: the metaphysics of truthmakers, of composites, of values, of social entities, and of gender, race, and sexuality.

Funded by MINECO/FEDER, UE, ref FFI2015-66372-P

Duration: 2016–18

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