2:25 p.m.
Peter Simons
‘Metaphysicians from A to W And How to Improve on Them’
Wednesday, May 25 at 18:30 (CET)
The MAP (Master in Philosophy) at USI (Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano) is
pleased to announce the last talk of the Lugano Philosophy Colloquia of Spring 2022,
‘Metaphysicians from A to W And How to Improve on Them’.
The guest speaker is:
Peter Simons (TCD and USI)
The talk is chaired by:
Barry Smith (Buffalo and USI)
Date:
Wednesday, May 25 at 18:30 (CET)
Location:
The talk will be run via a hybrid format: on campus at Auditorium, USI, Main Building and
on Zoom. It will also be streamed on USI Master in Philosophy Facebook
page<http://www.facebook.com/usimap>;.
To participate:
Please write an email to amm.map@usi.ch<mailto:amm.map@usi.ch> or send a message to
our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/usimap<http://www.facebook.com/usimap>;).
The Abstract of the Talk:
Three of the greatest metaphysicians of the twentieth century, all born before 1900, wrote
in English. One was Australian, one English, and one American. They are, in chronological
order, Samuel Alexander, Alfred North Whitehead and Donald Cary Williams. Empirical
realists all, each espoused a systematic account of the universe in which metaphysics
stood at the centre. The lessons we can take from them are varied: from Alexander we have
spacetime, mind-brain identity, and emergence; from Whitehead we have mereology and the
primacy of dynamic process; from Williams we have tropes and the reasonableness of
induction. They all agreed on the central importance of categories, though their
treatments differ considerably. They influenced other fine metaphysical thinkers:
Anderson, Armstrong and Lewis, to name just the most prominent. But each makes
metaphysical choices that are questionable, so the question arises whether we can do
better, taking the best from each and welding it together into a system that avoids the
pitfalls. Building on both their strengths and their weaknesses, this talk outlines how
that can be done.
The talk is part of the Lugano Philosophy Colloquia - a series of events organized by:
- Master in Philosophy at USI
- Ratio – Philosophical Association
- Istituto di Studi Filosofici, Lugano
If you want to stay updated on our incoming philosophical events, please check our page
https://www.usi.ch/en/feeds/17840 and subscribe to our mailing
list<https://lists.usi.ch/mailman3/postorius/lists/philosophy.lugano.lists.usi.ch/>.
For any question, please write to amm.map@usi.ch<mailto:amm.map@usi.ch>
We look forward to your presence!
Thank you!