Abstract
There has been a resurgence of interest in metametaphysics, the branch of metaphysics that investigates the nature of metaphysics itself. At the same time, there has been a surge of interest in social metaphysics. These two areas of inquiry intersect in important ways.
Recently, various philosophers have voiced the worry that prominent metametaphysical frameworks fail to classify social metaphysics as metaphysics proper. The argument, roughly, is that so-called substantive metaphysics excludes social metaphysics because the latter is not taken to be about real entities.
In this presentation, I scrutinise whether the critique is sound. My tentative conclusion is that the bulk of the critique misses the mark. The critique still reveals a problem for encompassing social metaphysics in substantive metaphysics. However, this is a different problem than the one the sceptics tend to focus on. In light of this, I suggest a way forward for encompassing social metaphysics in substantive metaphysics.
In addition, in my overarching project, I accept that we ought to do substantive metaphysics. It seems to me that doing substantive metaphysics has value. The question, then, is what this value is. I end by suggesting some possible answers to this question.
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Upcoming seminars
9/10, 13-15 Attila Tanyi
16/10, 10-12 Sophie Serra
23/10, 10-12 Jeroen Smid
6/11, 13-15 Daniela Dover
13/11,10-12 Ylwa Sjölin Wirling
20/11, 10-12 Daniel Giberman
27/11, 10-12 Tricia Magalotti
4/12, 10-12 Alva Stråge
11/12, 13-15 Ulrike Heuer
18/12, 10-12 Felix Larsson
