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THIS IS METAPHYSICS
AN INTRODUCTION
KRIS McDANIEL
This edition first published 2020
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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: McDaniel, Kris, 1976– author.
Title: This is metaphysics : an introduction / Kris McDaniel.
Description: Hoboken, NJ, USA : Wiley‐Blackwell, 2020. | Series: This is philosophy | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019056737 (print) | LCCN 2019056738 (ebook) | ISBN 9781118400777 (paperback) | ISBN 9781118400807 (ePDF) | ISBN 9781118400784 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Metaphysics.
Classification: LCC BD111 .M464 2020 (print) | LCC BD111 (ebook) | DDC 110–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019056737 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019056738
Cover design: Wiley
Dedicated to Safira, Ranger, Nina, and Leneah, with love.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THIS IS METAPHYSICS
0.1 Who is This Book for?
0.1 I wrote this book with three possible audiences in mind: philosophy majors who are taking an upper‐division metaphysics class, students in an entry‐level introduction to philosophy course, and members of the general public who are curious about philosophy and willing to work through this book outside of a classroom.
0.2 I expect that members of the first audience are going to have the easiest time with this book because they already have some philosophy under their belt and so are familiar with philosophical modes of questioning and reasoning. They will also have the guidance of a professional philosopher to help address their questions, clarify what they might be confused about, and suggest further things to think about beyond what I have the space to deal with in this book. But I have done my best to make this book as accessible as possible to budding philosophers and the general public. I have tried to present what is objectively very difficult material in an easy and comfortable way by using down to earth language and a conversational style, and by employing familiar examples to illustrate the theories and arguments discussed. I have also included links to stuff that is online that is relevant or useful to consider as you read through the book.
0.3 Even so, you should expect to work hard as you read this book. Philosophy is not easy, and that is one reason that people have been wrestling with philosophical problems for thousands of years. You can’t expect to read a philosophy book like you would read a Harry Potter novel. Instead, you should plan on periodically pausing after reading a section of the book—maybe even after reading a single paragraph—and then really thinking hard about what you’ve just read. When you pause, ask yourself the following questions:
What is the author trying to prove here?
That is, what conclusion is the author arguing for?
What are the premises he is using to reach this conclusion?
Do the premises really support the author’s conclusion?
That is, if the premises are true, is the author’s conclusion also likely to be true?
Are the premises of the author’s argument true?
If the author’s argument is not a good argument, is there a better argument for the same conclusion?
Are there good arguments against the author’s conclusion?
In short, when working through a book of philosophy you must be a critical reader. You have to be an active participant, rather than a passive absorber of words and ideas. I’ve tried to make things as easy as possible, but I can’t make an intrinsically difficult subject easy. If you aren’t willing to do the work to think through the problems, puzzles, and arguments that will be discussed in the chapters to follow, you should put the book back on the shelf. I sincerely hope you won’t though. The primary value of philosophy can only be seen by someone who has really worked through a philosophical problem.
0.4 Here is a suggestion for how to read this book critically. Read each chapter at least three times, but with deeper critical engagement each time. The first time you read the chapter, read it all the way through so that you get a feeling for the territory it covers. The second time you read the chapter, read it slowly, and pause at the end of each section so that you can write down any questions you might have about what is going on. If there is something that you don’t understand while reading the chapter on this second reading, write