Bloomsbury Ontology and Metaontology: A Contemporary Guide

Ontology and Metaontology: A Contemporary Guide is a clear and accessible survey of ontology, focussing on the most recent trends in the discipline. Divided into parts, the first half characterizes metaontology: the discourse on the methodology of ontological inquiry, covering the main concepts, tools, and methods of the discipline, exploring the notions of being and existence, ontological commitment, paraphrase strategies, fictionalist strategies, and other metaontological questions. The second half considers a series of case studies, introducing and familiarizing the reader with concrete examples of the latest research in the field. The basic sub-fields of ontology are covered here via an accessible and captivating exposition: events, properties, universals, abstract objects, possible worlds, material beings, mereology, fictional objects. The guide's modular structure allows for a flexible approach to the subject, making it suitable for both undergraduates and postgraduates looking to better understand and apply the exciting developments and debates taking place in ontology today. Review This recent guidebook by Francesco Berto and Matteo Plebani succeeds remarkably in bringing the reader up to speed on the state of debates on [the] issues in contemporary analytic philosophy. The authors easily strike the appropriate balance between clarity and simplicity of presentation on the one hand and depth and breadth of content on the other. Moreover, the way that topics are elaborated by considering the motivations for positions, the objections put to them, and the prospects for responses to those objections is particularly satisfying. Consequently, any students or scholars wishing to acquaint themselves with this growing area of interest cannot afford to neglect this book. -Philosophical QuarterlyThe book should be commended for the sheer volume of positions, arguments, and distinctions discussed. ... The prose is clear which is invaluable for undergraduate students stumbling upon metaphysics and metaontology for the first time. ... If this book were available when I took my graduate course in metaontology years back, I would have definitely picked it up." -Max Suffis, Rice University, USA, Teaching PhilosophyI highly recommend this book to first and second year graduate students interested in working in metaontology and ontology as a starting point for figuring the particular topics in which they're interested. I will recommend it to friends working outside of metaphysics who are interested in knowing what's going on in metaphysics. And I will add this book to the Further Resources section of my syllabus for courses on these topics ... It is a helpful introduction and guide to the topics it covers, which is exactly what it's intended to be. -Bradley Rettler, Baylor University, NDPRAt last! A book on ontology and metaontology written by philosophers who understand and appreciate the Quinean metaontology. This excellent book will be one of the central texts used in my next graduate seminar on metaontology. -Peter van Inwagen, John Cardinal O'Hara Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, USA This is the book you really wish to read if you want to learn not only how to make the complete list of what there is, but also what it means to make such a list. -Alberto Voltolini, Professor of Philosophy of Language and Mind, University of Turin, Italy This is a terrific book. It offers a comprehensive account of the current metaontological debate about the nature of ontology, including useful summaries of the various alternatives to the old Quinean paradigm. But it also covers in depth the way this debate plays out in some of the most important corners of philosophy by considering the ongoing discussion about (among other things) the nature and existence of mathematical and other abstract objects, possible worlds, the constitution of material objects, and properties. I couldn't recommend this book