David Armstrong

David Armstrong PDF Author: Stephen Mumford
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317493257
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
David (D. M.) Armstrong is one of Australia's greatest philosophers. His chief philosophical achievement has been the development of a core metaphysical programme, embracing the topics of universals, laws, modality and facts: a naturalistic metaphysics, consistent with a scientific view of the natural world. It is primarily through his owrk that Australian philosophy, and Australian metaphysics in particular, enjoys such a high reputation in the rest of the world. In this book Stephen Mumford offers an introduction to the full range of Armstrong's thought. Mumford begins with a discussion of Armstong's naturalism, his most general commitment, and his realism about universals. He then examines his theories of laws, modality and dispositions, which make up the basics of Armstrong's core theory. With this in place, Mumford explores his ideas on perception, mind and belief before returning to metaphysics in the last two chapters, looking at truth and the new view of instantiation. The book is a dispassionate, fair and unbiased account of Armstrong's thought. Although Armstong's is a body of work that Mumford regards highly and of real significance, he nevertheless highlights areas of weakness and issues about which there is room for further debate.

David Armstrong

David Armstrong PDF Author: Stephen Mumford
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317493257
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 217

Get Book Here

Book Description
David (D. M.) Armstrong is one of Australia's greatest philosophers. His chief philosophical achievement has been the development of a core metaphysical programme, embracing the topics of universals, laws, modality and facts: a naturalistic metaphysics, consistent with a scientific view of the natural world. It is primarily through his owrk that Australian philosophy, and Australian metaphysics in particular, enjoys such a high reputation in the rest of the world. In this book Stephen Mumford offers an introduction to the full range of Armstrong's thought. Mumford begins with a discussion of Armstong's naturalism, his most general commitment, and his realism about universals. He then examines his theories of laws, modality and dispositions, which make up the basics of Armstrong's core theory. With this in place, Mumford explores his ideas on perception, mind and belief before returning to metaphysics in the last two chapters, looking at truth and the new view of instantiation. The book is a dispassionate, fair and unbiased account of Armstrong's thought. Although Armstong's is a body of work that Mumford regards highly and of real significance, he nevertheless highlights areas of weakness and issues about which there is room for further debate.

D.M. Armstrong

D.M. Armstrong PDF Author: R. Bogdan
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400962800
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
The aim of this series is to inform both professional philosophers and a larger readership (of social and natural scientists, methodologists, mathe maticians, students, teachers, publishers, etc.) about what is going on, who's who, and who does what in contemporary philosophy and logic. PROFILES is designed to present the research activity and the results of already out standing personalities and schools and of newly emerging ones in the various fields of pillJosophy and logic. There are many Festschrift volumes dedicated to various philosophers. There is the celebrated Library of Living Philosophers edited by P. A. Schilpp whose format influenced the present enterprise. Still they can only cover very little of the contemporary philosophical scene. Faced with a tremendous expansion of philosophical information and with an almost frightening division of labor and increasing specialization we need systematic and regular ways of keeping track of what happens in the profes sion. PROFILES is intended to perform such a function. Each volume is devoted to one or several philosophers whose views and results are presented and discussed. The profiled philosopher(s) will sum marize and review his (their) own work in the main fields of Significant con tribution. This work will be discussed and evaluated by invited contributors. Relevant historical and/or biographical data, an up-to-date bibliography with short abstracts of the most important works and, whenever possible, re ferences to significant reviews and discussions will also be included.

Sketch for a Systematic Metaphysics

Sketch for a Systematic Metaphysics PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191615420
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
David Armstrong sets out his metaphysical system in a set of concise and lively chapters each dealing with one aspect of the world. He begins with the assumption that all that exists is the physical world of space-time. On this foundation he constructs a coherent metaphysical scheme that gives plausible answers to many of the great problems of metaphysics. He gives accounts of properties, relations, and particulars; laws of nature; modality; abstract objects such as numbers; and time and mind.

A Materialist Theory of the Mind

A Materialist Theory of the Mind PDF Author: D.M. Armstrong
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134856342
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 311

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Book Description
Breaking new ground in the debate about the relation of mind and body, David Armstrong's classic text - first published in 1968 - remains the most compelling and comprehensive statement of the view that the mind is material or physical. In the preface to this new edition, the author reflects on the book's impact and considers it in the light of subsequent developments. He also provides a bibliography of all the key writings to have appeared in the materialist debate.

Perception and the Physical World

Perception and the Physical World PDF Author: D M Armstrong
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 100090086X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
First published in 1961, Perception and the Physical World contends that there are insuperable difficulties for the Representative and Phenomenalist theories. Unreflective common sense thinks of sense-perception as a direct grasping of the nature of the physical world. But when we are confronted with facts about sensory illusion, about the physical and physiological causes of perception, and with modern scientific views of the real nature of matter, it is hard to maintain such a ‘Direct Realist’ theory of perception. We tend to substitute a Copy or Representative theory which puts sense-impressions between ourselves and physical reality. Some philosophers overwhelmed by the difficulties of the Copy theory, retreat into Phenomenalism, which identifies the physical world with our sense-impressions. The author re-examines all the traditional objections to a Direct Realist theory and tries to show that they can be overcome. This book will be of interest to students of philosophy.

Truth and Truthmakers

Truth and Truthmakers PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521547239
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Book Description
This book, first published in 2004, makes a compelling case for truthmaking and its importance in philosophy.

A World of States of Affairs

A World of States of Affairs PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521589482
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Offers a comprehensive system of analytical metaphysics, argued from a distinctive philosophical perspective.

What is a Law of Nature?

What is a Law of Nature? PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107142318
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 183

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Book Description
This book is D. M. Armstrong's influential defense of his original theory of what a law of nature is.

A Combinatorial Theory of Possibility

A Combinatorial Theory of Possibility PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521377805
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Book Description
Preface Part I. Non-Naturalist Theories of Possibility: 1. Causal argument 2. Non-Naturalist theories of possibility Part II. A Combinatorial and Naturalist Account of Possibility: 3. Possibility in a simple world 4. Expanding and contracting the world 5. Relative atoms 6. Are there de re incompatibilities and necessities? 7. Higher-order entities, negation and causation 8. Supervenience 9. Mathematics 10. Final questions: logic Works cited Appendix: Tractarian Nominalism Brian Skyrms Index.

Belief, Truth and Knowledge

Belief, Truth and Knowledge PDF Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521087063
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
A wide-ranging study of the central concepts in epistemology - belief, truth and knowledge. Professor Armstrong offers a dispositional account of general beliefs and of knowledge of general propositions. Belief about particular matters of fact are described as structures in the mind of the believer which represent or 'map' reality, while general beliefs are dispositions to extend the 'map' or introduce casual relations between portions of the map according to general rules. 'Knowledge' denotes the reliability of such beliefs as representations of reality. Within this framework Professor Armstrong offers a distinctive account of many of the main questions in general epistemology - the relations between beliefs and language, the notions of proposition, concept and idea, the analysis of truth, the varieties of knowledge, and the way in which beleifs and knowledge are supported by reasons. The book as a whole if offered as a contribution to a naturalistic account of man.