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Substance: Its Nature and Existence investigates the very nature and existence of individual substances, including both living things and inanimate objects. It provides an accessible introduction to the history and contemporary debates of this important and often complex issue.
Starting with a critical survey of the main historical attempts by Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke and Hume to provide an analysis of substance, the authors present the view that a substance must satisfy an independence condition which could not be satisfied by an insubstantial entity. Throughout the book, the authors also consider problems for the notion of substance raised by the unity of the parts of organisms and explore the problem of how we can actually know what kinds of physical substance there are.
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Substance
Substance: Its Nature and Existence is one of the first accessible introductions to the history and contemporary debates surrounding the idea of substance. An important and often complex issue, substance is at the heart of Western philosophy. Substances are distinguished from other kinds of entities such as properties, events, times, and places. This book investigates the very nature and existence of individual substances, including both living things and inanimate objects. Taking as their starting point the major philosophers in the historical debate— Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, and Hume—Joshua Hoffman and Gary S.Rosenkrantz move on to a novel analysis of substance in terms of a kind of independence which insubstantial entities do not possess. The authors explore causal theories of the unity of the parts of inanimate objects and organisms; contemporary views about substance; the idea that the only existing physical substances are inanimate pieces of matter and living organisms, and that artifacts such as clocks, and natural formations like stars, do not really exist. Substance: Its Nature and Existence provides students of philosophy and metaphysics with an introduction to and critical engagement with a key philosophical issue. “The authors’ clarity of presentation and lucidity of style enable them to discuss a wide range of difficult but important metaphysical questions in a way that is accessible to intermediate and advanced-level undergraduates…. At the same time they present and defend some highly original ontological claims which are sure to provoke widespread discussion amongst professional philosophers.” E.J.Lowe, University of Durham Joshua Hoffman and Gary S.Rosenkrantz are Professors of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. They recently co-authored Substance Among Other Categories.
The Problems of Philosophy Founding editor: Ted Honderich Editors: Tim Crane and Jonathan Wolff, University College London
This series addresses the central problems of philosophy. Each book gives a fresh account of a particular philosophical theme by offering two perspectives on the subject: the historical context and author’s own distinctive and original contribution. The books are written to be accessible to students of philosophy and related disciplines, while taking the debate to a new level. DEMOCRACY Ross Harrison THE EXISTENCE OF THE WORLD Reinhardt Grossman NAMING AND REFERENCE R.J.Nelson EXPLAINING EXPLANATION David-Hillel Ruben IF P. THEN Q David H.Sanford SCEPTICISM Christopher Hookway HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS Alastair Hannay THE IMPLICATIONS OF DETERMINISM Roy Weatherford THE INFINITE A.W.Moore KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF Frederic F.Schmitt KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXTERNAL WORLD Bruce Aune MORAL KNOWLEDGE Alan Goldman MIND-BODY IDENTITY THEORIES Cynthia Macdonald
THE NATURE OF ART A.L.Cothey PERSONAL IDENTITY Harold W.Noonan POLITICAL FREEDOM George G.Brenkert THE RATIONAL FOUNDATIONS OF ETHICS T.L.S.Sprigge PRACTICAL REASONING Robert Audi RATIONALITY Harold I.Brown THO