4 July 2022 h 4:00-6:00 pm

José Juan Palomo Del Rey (University of Salamanca), “A general introduction to metaphysical grounding and its application to social ontology”

Abstract: This talk will focus on a very general presentation of the main lines of the literature on the metaphysical ground, a concept originating from Bolzano, which is the main champion of the post-modal school of contemporary analytic metaphysics. Defined as a non-causal relation of constitution between facts, the ground is identified as the most granular and deepest possible metaphysical explanation, the core of a hierarchical conception of reality (interlevel metaphysics). Regarding formal properties, the main line defends that it is a strict partial order (irreflexive, asymmetric and transitive), that it presents the Bolzanian properties (i.e., it can be complete or partial, mediate or immediate, factive or non-factive and non-monotonic), as well as other nuclear properties such as hyperintensionality. Moreover, its connection with other notions (such as that of cause or fundamentality), some of its metametaphysical aspects, will be very briefly traced, in order to dwell on the issue of realism, of enormous relevance in the literature on the metaphysical ground.

Once the above has been developed, we will analyze the applications that are being carried out with this notion, especially social ontology, embodied by authors such as Jonathan Schaffer, Brian Epstein or Mari Mikkola. These authors will be compared with some of the ideas developed in LABONT, especially the social ontology of Maurizio Ferraris. The final vanishing point of the talk is to propose a “prenatal” development, an inchoative model about how in the light of all the proposed developments the relations between the more abstract and concrete dimensions of philosophy could be rethought.

Attend the seminar clicking here! (PW: DCkGsXS3p24)