Riddles of Existence : A Guided Tour of Metaphysics: New Edition.

Cover -- Riddles of Existence: A Guided Tour of Metaphysics -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Figures -- Preface to the New Edition (2014) -- Dedication -- Introduction -- Who's it For? -- Who's it By? -- What's it About? -- Chapter 1, Personal Identity (Sider) -- Chapter 2, Fatalism (Conee) -- Chapter 3, Time (Sider) -- Chapter 4, God (Conee) -- Chapter 5, Why Not Nothing? (Conee) -- Chapter 6, Free Will and Determinism (Sider) -- Chapter 7, Constitution (Sider) -- Chapter 8, Universals (Conee) -- Chapter 9, Possibility and Necessity (Sider) -- Chapter 10, The Metaphysics of Ethics (Conee) -- Chapter 11, What is Metaphysics? (Conee) -- Chapter 12, Metametaphysics (Sider) -- Chapter 1: Personal Identity -- The Concept of Personal Identity -- The Soul -- Spatiotemporal Continuity and the Case of the Prince and the Cobbler -- Psychological Continuity and the Problem of Duplication -- Radical Solutions to the Problem of Duplication -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 2: Fatalism -- Introduction -- The Sea Battle -- Objections -- Past Predictions -- Necessary Conditions -- God Knows -- A Final Note -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 3: Time -- The Flow of Time -- The Space-Time Theory -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 4: God -- Getting It All Started -- Effects -- First Cause Argument -- Phase 1 -- Phase 2 -- Dependents -- Ontological Dependence Argument -- Phase 1 -- Phase 2 -- Designing the World -- First Version -- Demonstration by Design -- Phase 1 -- Phase 2 -- Best Explanation by Design -- Phase 1 -- Phase 2 -- Conceptually Guaranteeing God -- Anselm's Ontological Argument -- Phase 1 -- Phase 2 -- Phase 3 -- Putting it All Together -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 5: Why Not Nothing? -- Introduction -- What is the Question? -- Do We Get the Question? -- Necessitarianism -- Godly Necessitarianism -- Ontological Arguments for a Necessary Being.

First Ontological Argument -- Phase 1 -- Phase 2 -- Second Ontological Argument -- Ungodly Necessitarianism -- Minimal Contingency -- Anthropic Explanation -- Godly Explanation -- Tendentious Explanation -- Statistical Explanation -- Conclusion -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 6: Free Will and Determinism -- The Problem -- Hard Determinism -- Libertarianism -- Interlude: Quantum Mechanics -- Compatibilism -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 7: Constitution -- The Antinomy of Constitution -- Assumptions of the Antinomy -- The Just-Matter Theory -- The Takeover Theory -- Nihilism -- Cohabitation -- Four-Dimensionalism -- Further Reading -- Chapter 8: Universals -- Introduction -- Positive Reasons -- Doubts -- A Final Ground for Doubt -- Alternatives -- Sparse Universals -- Tropes -- Sets -- Nominalism -- Conceptualism -- Conclusion -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 9: Possibility and Necessity -- The Problem of Possibility and Necessity -- Natural Possibility and Necessity -- Absolute Possibility and Necessity -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 10: The Metaphysics of Ethics -- Right and Wrong -- Custodian -- Coach -- Realism -- Real Trouble -- Naturalism -- Natural Trouble -- An Ideal Solution? -- Classic Complaints Against Naturalism -- First Classic Complaint: Euthryphro -- Second Classic Complaint: Open Questions -- More on the Classic Complaints: A Misgiving -- Non-Nature -- Natural Dependency -- Long Odds -- Back to a Classic Complaint: Questioning Open Questions -- New Naturalism -- Trouble in the Twin Cities -- Troubling Emotional Involvement -- Emotivism -- Simple Emotivism -- Expressive Enhancements -- Conditional Trouble -- Deception Reasoning -- Pondering -- Ethical Errors -- Errors About Errors -- Conclusion -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 11: What is Metaphysics? -- Introduction -- Being qua Being -- First Principles -- Appearances vs Ultimate Reality.

Ultimate Explanations -- Basic Necessities and Possibilities -- Taking Stock -- Some Concluding Questions -- FURTHER READING -- Chapter 12: Metametaphysics -- Why Care? -- How Can We Know? -- What's the Difference? -- Conclusion -- FURTHER READING -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- INDEX OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS.

Riddles of Existence makes metaphysics genuinely accessible, even fun. Its lively, informal style brings the riddles to life and shows how stimulating they can be. Anyone wanting to think about life's most profound questions will find it provocative and entertaining. This edition is updated throughout, and features two brand new chapters.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.