#david s. oderberg

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What is the relationship between logic and metaphysics? It goes without saying that we want our metaphysics to be logical; but do we want our logic to be metaphysical? To put it another way, do we want logic to do any metaphysical work? Logic is essentially a tool for getting at truth; it is the tool, for without it no reasoning is possible in any field of human enquiry whatsoever. But it cannot get to truth without already having truth on which to work: as G. K. Chesterton once remarked, "you can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it."' Armed with truth, we use logic to get more truth, even if what we get is "only" the actual combination or division of ideas that were already potentially combined or divided in the truth with which we started.

Since logic is a tool for truth, and since truth is about being, logic must in this sense be metaphysical. But since logic can be applied to fairies and phantoms as much as to bed knobs and broomsticks, we cannot say that logic must be about what is. I imagine Quine would agree with this last sentence. All propositions, for him, have the form of either assertions or denials of existence. In reasoning about the world, proponents of rival theories (his preferred term) advance competing existential claims (and denials). A claim is true only if the predicates it contains are true of the values of the variables. When we do not reason about the world, we do logic by evaluating existence claims that we entertain without necessarily asserting, and hence which quantify over objects to which we are not necessarily committed.

David S. Oderberg, "Predicate Logic and Bare Particulars", in The Old New Logic: Essays on the Philosophy of Fred Sommers

[tyree-hfl]

Real Essentialism  David S. Oderberg  B105.E65 O43 2007

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Untitled Document

March 29, 2017

Journal of Medical Ethics, Vol. 43, #4, 2017 Journal of Social Philosophy, Vol. 48, #1, 2017 Juncture, Vol. 23, #4, 2017 Philosophical Papers, Vol. 46, #1, 2017 Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Vol. 62, 2017

Journal of Medical Ethics, Vol. 43, #4, 2017 Articles Steve Clarke. Conscientious Objection in Healthcare: New Directions. David S Oderberg. Further Clarity on Cooperation and Morality. Edward Collins Vacek. Mere Sincerity. Trevor G Stammers. A reasonable Objection? Commentary on 'Further Clarity on Cooperation and Morality'. David S Oderberg. Response to Commentaries: 'Further Clarity on Cooperation and Morality'. Christopher Cowley. Paper: Conscientious Objection in Healthcare and the Duty to Refer. Jonathan A Hughes. Paper: Conscientious Objection in Healthcare: Why Tribunals Might be the Answer. Steve Clarke. Paper: Conscientious Objection in Healthcare, Referral and the Military Analogy. Robert F Card. Paper: Reasons, Reasonability and Establishing Conscientious Objector Status in Medicine. Dominic Wilkinson. Paper: Rationing Conscience. Francesca Minerva. Paper: Cosmetic Surgery and Conscientious Objection. Udo Schuklenk, Ricardo Smalling. Extended Essay: Why Medical Professionals Have No Moral Claim to Conscientious Objection Accommodation in Liberal Democracies. Jocelyn Maclure, Isabelle Dumont. Selling Conscience Short: A Response to Schuklenk and Smalling on Conscientious Objections by Medical Professionals. Xavier Symons. Two Conceptions of Conscience and the Problem of Conscientious Objection. Shimon M Glick, Alan Jotkowitz. Response to: 'Why Medical Professionals Have No Moral Claim to Conscientious Objection Accommodation in Liberal Democracies' by Schuklenk and Smalling. Richard John Lyus. Response to: 'Why Medical Professionals Have No Moral Claim to Conscientious Objection Accommodation in Liberal Democracies' by Schuklenk and Smalling. Ricardo Smalling, Udo Schuklenk. Against the Accommodation of Subjective Healthcare Provider Beliefs in Medicine: Counteracting Supporters of Conscientious Objector Accommodation Arguments. Christian Munthe. Paper: Conscientious Refusal in Healthcare: The Swedish Solution. John Olusegun Adenitire. The BMA's Guidance on Conscientious Objection may be Contrary to Human Rights Law. Henry Shue. Complicity and Torture. Philippe Calain. Response to ‘On Complicity and Compromise’ by Chiara Lepora and Robert Goodin. Jonathan H Marks. The Ethics of Compromise: Third Party, Public Health and Environmental Perspectives. Chiara Lepora, Robert E Goodin. On Complicity and Compromise: A Précis. Doug Hickey, Scarllet SiJia Li, Celia Morrison, Richard Schulz, Michelle Thiry, Kelly Sorensen. Paper: Unit 731 and Moral Repair. Chiara Lepora, Robert E Goodin. On Complicity and Compromise: A Reply. Back to Top

Journal of Social Philosophy, Vol. 48, #1, 2017 Recently Published Articles Scott Woodcock. Earthquakes, People-Seeds and a Cabin in the Woods. Luvell Anderson and Verena Erlenbusch. Modeling Inclusive Pedagogy: Five Approaches. Ryan W. Davis. Autonomy and Toleration as a Moral Attitude. Aaron M. Griffith. The Rights of Future Persons and the Ontology of Time. Nathan Eckstrand. The Activeness and Adaptability of Whiteness: Expanding Phenomenology's Account of Racial Identity. Back to Top

Juncture, Vol. 23, #4, 2017 Editorial Mathew Lawrence, Guy Lodge, Nick Pearce and Carys Roberts. Editorial. Articles Ann Pettifor. Finance Proud and Industry Vulnerable: When Governments Fail to Defend the Economic Realm, Citizens Revolt. Sivamohan Valluvan. Defining and Challenging the New Nationalism. Juncture Interview: Margaret MacMillan. Máire Braniff and Sophie Whiting. Deep Impact: The Fiction of a Smooth Brexit for Northern Ireland. Nick Srnicek. The Challenges of Platform Capitalism: Understanding the Logic of a New Business Model. Claudia Chwalisz. ‘The World Needs More Canada’: Are there Lessons for European Progressives in the Liberals' Comeback? Joe Chrisp. Basic Income: Beyond Left and Right? Chris Bickerton. An Anti-System President in France? Mathew Lawrence. Future Proof: Britain in the 2020s. John Curtice. Labour's Richmond Problem: Why isn't Labour More Worried about Losing Remain Supporters to the Lib Dems? Charles Leadbeater. Making Money and Meaning in the Modern Economy: Why We Need Prosperity with a Purpose – and how We Work Towards It. Back to Top

Philosophical Papers, Vol. 46, #1, 2017 Introduction Uchenna Okeja. Introduction: Globalizing or Transcending Global Justice? Original Articles Ifeanyi A. Menkiti. Africa and Global Justice. Katrin Flikschuh. Should African Thinkers Engage in the Global Justice Debate? Dennis Masaka. ‘Global Justice’ and the Suppressed Epistemologies of the Indigenous People of Africa. Michael Onyebuchi Eze. I am Because You Are: Cosmopolitanism in the Age of Xenophobia. Thaddeus Metz. Replacing Development: An Afro-Communal Approach to Global Justice. Edwin Etieyibo. Ubuntu, Cosmopolitanism, and Distribution of Natural Resources. Helen Lauer. Global Justice as Process: Applying Normative Ideals of Indigenous African Governance. Back to Top

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Vol. 62, 2017 General Articles Maurizio Esposito. Expectation and Futurity: The Remarkable Success of Genetic Determinism. Maurizio Meloni. Disentangling Life: Darwin, Selectionism, and the Postgenomic Return of the Environment. Dominic K. Dimech. Modelling with Words: Narrative and Natural Selection. Sandy C. Boucher. Gould on Species, Metaphysics and Macroevolution: A Critical Appraisal. Discussions Saana Jukola. On Ideals of Objectivity, Judgments, and Bias in Medical Research – A Comment on Stegenga. Essay Reviews Kim Sterelny. Cultural Evolution in California and Paris. Snait B. Gissis. Is Time Future Contained in Time Past? Ian James Kidd. Phenomenology of Illness, Philosophy, and Life. Back to Top