Linguistique de l’écrit

Revue internationale en libre accès

Revue | Volume | Article

173855

The easy approach to ontology

Amie L Thomasson

pp. 1-15

Résumé

This paper defends the view that ontological questions (properly understood) are easy—too easy, in fact, to be subjects of substantive and distinctively philosophical debates. They are easy, roughly, in the sense that they may be resolved straightforwardly—generally by a combination of conceptual and empirical enquiries. After briefly outlining the view and some of its virtues, I turn to examine two central lines of objection. The first is that this "easy' approach is itself committed to substantive ontological views, including an implausibly permissive ontology. The second is that it, like neo-Fregean views, relies on transformation rules that are questionable on both logical and ontological grounds. Ultimately, I will argue, the easy view is not easily assailed by either of these routes, and so remains (thus far) a tenable and attractive approach.

Détails de la publication

Publié dans:

(2009) Axiomathes 19 (1).

Pages: 1-15

Citation complète:

Thomasson Amie L, 2009, The easy approach to ontology. Axiomathes 19 (1), 1-15.