Skip to main content

Attenuated Methodological Naturalism

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Natural Processes
  • 193 Accesses

Abstract

My aim in this chapter is to develop and defend attenuated methodological naturalism, which holds that we should allow metaphysical theories to be defeasible in light of scientific claims, but we should not immediately assess those metaphysical theories as being false given defeater instances—instead, we should suspend judgment to the theory. The upshot being that even though neo-Aristotelianism is a problematic theory, we should not reject it as being false, but should instead allow for the possibility of exploring other metaphysical theories.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • David Chalmers, David Manley, and Ryan Wasserman (eds.), Metametaphysics, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cappelen, Herman. Philosophy Without Intuitions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Paul Feyerabend. Against Method, London: Verso, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Field, Hartry. Realism, Mathematics, and Modality. Oxford: Blackwell, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  • George Bealer “Intuition and the Autonomy of Philosophy” In Michael DePaul & William Ramsey (eds.), Rethinking Intuition: The Psychology of Intuition and Its Role in Philosophical Inquiry. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 201–240. 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haug, Matthew C., ed. Philosophical Methdology: The Armchair or the Laboratory. London: Routledge, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, Frank. From Metaphysics to Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowe, E.J. The Four-Category Ontology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papineau, David. “The Poverty of Conceptual Analysis.” In Philosophical Methodlogy: The Armchair of the Laboratory? edited by Matthew C. Haug, 166–194. London: Routledge, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paul, L.A. “Metaphysics as Modeling: The Handmaiden’s Tale.” Philosophical Studies, no. 160 (2012): 1–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollock, John L. “How to Reason Defeasibly.” Artificial Intelligence, no. 57 (1992): 1–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, Jessica. “Three Dogmas of Metaphysical Methodology.” In Philosophical Methodlogy: The Armchair or the Laboratory?, edited by Matthew C. Haugh, 145–165. London: Routledge, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Winters, A.M. (2017). Attenuated Methodological Naturalism. In: Natural Processes. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67570-1_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics