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Can dispositional essences ground the laws of nature?
Citation
Corry, RL, Can dispositional essences ground the laws of nature?, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 89, (2) pp. 263-275. ISSN 0004-8402 (2011) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2011 Australasian Association of Philosophy.
DOI: doi:10.1080/00048401003660325
Abstract
A dispositional property is a tendency, or potency, to manifest some characteristic behaviour in some appropriate context. The mainstream view in the twentieth century was that such properties are to be explained in terms of more fundamental non-dispositional properties, together with the laws of nature. In the last few decades however, a rival view has become popular, according to which some properties are essentially dispositional in nature, and the laws of nature are to be explained in terms of these fundamental dispositions. The supposed ability of fundamental dispositions to ground natural laws is one of the most attractive features of the dispositional essentialist position. In this paper, however, I cast doubt on the ability of dispositional essences to ground the laws of nature. In particular I argue that the dispositional essentialist position is not able to coherently respond - sympathetically or otherwise - to Cartwright's challenge that there are no true general laws of nature.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Cartwright, dispositional property, dispositional essences, natural laws, laws of nature |
Research Division: | Philosophy and Religious Studies |
Research Group: | Philosophy |
Research Field: | Metaphysics |
Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
Objective Group: | Expanding Knowledge |
Objective Field: | Expanding Knowledge in Philosophy and Religious Studies |
Author: | Corry, RL (Dr Richard Corry) |
ID Code: | 69660 |
Year Published: | 2011 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 4 |
Deposited By: | Philosophy |
Deposited On: | 2011-05-11 |
Last Modified: | 2015-06-24 |
Downloads: | 1 View Download Statistics |
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