Centre for Metaphysics and Mind Seminar: Boris Kment (Princeton), "Are All Fundamental Facts Qualitative?"

Abstract

Some philosophers, the 'anti-individualists,' believe that all fundamental facts are purely qualitative. They could in principle be stated without mentioning any specific individual by name. Other philosophers, the 'individualists,' believe that the fundamental facts also include facts about which individuals exist and how the qualitative properties and relations are distributed over them. Anti-individualists are committed to the idea that all facts supervene on the qualitative facts. I argue that that thesis yields implausible consequences in the theory of chance and counterfactuals. Ultimately, individualism carries the day.

More information about Prof Kment can be found here.

The Centre for Metaphysics and Mind (CMM) seminar series runs weekly through academic term with local speakers and visitors from universities in the UK and overseas. Seminars take place (with an occasional exception) on Fridays between 9:30am and 11:00am, and are open to staff and students of the University of Leeds, of other universities, and to members of the public. For further information please contact the director of CMM, Dr. Elizabeth Barnes (E.J.Barnes@leeds.ac.uk).