Dispositionalism is the view that causal powers are among the irreducible properties of nature. It has long been among the core competing positions in the metaphysics of laws, but its potential implications for other key debates within metaphysics and the philosophy of science have remained under-explored. Travis Dumsday fills this major gap in the literature by establishing new connections between dispositionalism and such topics as substance ontology, ontic structural realism, material composition, emergentism, natural-kind essentialism, perdurantism, time travel, and spacetime substantivalism. He also puts forward a novel view concerning the precise relationship between causal powers and the fundamental laws of nature. His rich and accessible study will appeal to readers interested in contemporary analytic metaphysics and philosophy of science.

Establishes new connections between dispositionalism and a variety of debates in contemporary analytic metaphysics and philosophy of science.

About the Author
Travis Dumsday is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Concordia University, Montreal. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on topics in philosophy of science, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.

Reviews
'... a significant contribution to the debate regarding the prospects of dispositionalism.' Vassilis Livanios, Metascience



Book Information
ISBN 9781108727068
Author Travis Dumsday
Format Paperback
Page Count 231
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 340g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 150mm * 11mm