Ontology in Plain English
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4950188 |
|---|---|
| Authors | John Horden (0000-0003-1403-7229, Universitat de Barcelona, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 64 |
| Issue | 255 |
| Pages | 225-242 |
| Publication date | 2014-04-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Philosophical Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0031-8094 • E-ISSN: 1467-9213 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/pq/pqt058 |
| OpenAlex | W2150877128 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
In a series of papers, Eli Hirsch develops a deflationary account of certain ontological debates, specifically those regarding the composition and persistence of physical objects. He argues that these debates are merely verbal disputes between philosophers who fail to correctly express themselves in a common language. To establish the truth in plain English about these issues, Hirsch contends, we need only listen to the assertions of ordinary speakers and interpret them charitably. In this paper, I argue that Hirsch's conclusions rest on a deficient understanding of the principle of charity. On a proper understanding of this principle, we can see that philosophical disagreement on these issues is not merely verbal. Further, it is no serious violation of charity to interpret ordinary assertions on these matters as false, for the beliefs they express can be explained as reasonable mistakes. Throughout I focus on the debate on composition; but my arguments should carry over to the debate on persistence
Composition (language · Epistemology · Extension (predicate logic · Focus (optics · Linguistics · Ontology · Ordinary language philosophy · Persistence (discontinuity · Relation (database · Rest (music · Computer Science · Philosophy · Philosophy and Theoretical Science
| Citations per year | 0.57 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2019 - 2022 (4) |
| Highly cited | No |