Oxford University Press - The Four-Category Ontology Book

Explore the fundamental structures of reality with The Four-Category Ontology: A Metaphysical Foundation for Natural Science. Published by Oxford University Press, this work by E. J. Lowe presents a rigorous metaphysical system designed to provide a foundation for natural science. Lowe develops a theory centered on two primary categorial distinctions that intersect to form four essential ontological categories. By examining the relationship between the particular and the universal, as well as the substantial and the non-substantial, this book offers a clear framework for understanding what exists. The resulting system categorizes existence into substantial particulars, non-substantial particulars, substantial universals, and non-substantial universals. This text is an essential resource for students and scholars interested in metaphysics and the philosophical underpinnings of scientific inquiry. It provides a detailed defense of a system where non-substantial universals include properties and relations, conceived as universals, making it a significant contribution to the study of ontology.