Bloomsbury Metaphysics: An Introduction

If the sentence my cat is on the mat is true how does it get to be true? Sentences are made true by what exists. But what about claims such as There were dinosaurs? and 2+2=4. How do they get to be true? Metaphysics: An Introduction uses the idea of truth and the quest for truth-makers to unravel philosophical problems in contemporary metaphysics. From the nature of properties and time to causation and objects, truth becomes a guiding theme to understanding metaphysical concepts and debates. Now updated and expanded, this second edition presents a more comprehensive coverage of the field with new chapters on personal identity and free will. By focusing on method throughout, it offers the necessary skills and reasoning to tackle complex questions. Together with a glossary, discussion questions and guides to further reading, each chapter concludes with a series of mind maps to help visualise the logical space being explored and how the arguments push in different directions. Metaphysics: An Introduction is suitable for anyone studying metaphysical problems for the first time. Review Metaphysics: An Introduction by Jonathan Tallant is a great contemporary introduction to metaphysics. The book explores, in a very accessible way, composition, time, persistence, and causation. This is metaphysics viewed through the lens of truth-making and, as such, it engages with traditional metaphysical questions in a new, illuminating, and engaging manner. --Kristie Miller, Associate Professor of Philosophy, The University of Sydney, AustraliaIn Metaphysics: An Introduction, Jonathan Tallant offers an innovative way into a variety of foundational questions about the world around us. The textbook is an exciting and clear introduction to topics in contemporary metaphysics that are the focus of active debate among experts, and Tallant is a first-rate guide to this shifting and difficult terrain. --Daniel Nolan, McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, USA About the Author Jonathan Tallant is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Nottingham, UK.