Talk: Kian Salimkhani (Radboud)

Title:

On progress in Metaphysics (joint work w/ Matthias Rolffs)

Abstract:

In a recent paper, Kerry McKenzie identifies theory change in science as a source for doubts about the value of engaging in metaphysics of science before a final theory is at hand. According to McKenzie, the basic problem is that naturalistically-inclined metaphysics lacks a concept of progress. More specifically, naturalistically-inclined metaphysics lacks a concept of progress as approximation that can easily be taken to correspond to the scientific sources of metaphysical inquiry. We criticise progress as approximation as too narrow a concept, notably, even in science, and propose an alternative notion of scientific progress that metaphysical investigations can and do latch on to, namely progress understood as exploring and constraining theory space.