Kit Fine: Metaphysical Ground | WSB #46

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Some things are true in virtue of other things. For example, the fact that it is either raining or snowing today is true in virtue of the fact that it is raining today (if, indeed, it is). Or consider another example, put in different terms: the fact that my cat Irene exists is sufficient to account for the fact that at least one cat exists. We might then ask: what is this being in virtue of, or accounting for?

Philosophers call this metaphysical ground. Thus, the existence of my cat Irene grounds the fact that at least one cat exists. But how does this grounding relation work? How is it related to logical entailment? To cause? To essence? Is it possible for there to be partial grounding? Can a fact ground itself? If not, does a vicious regress emerge? What is the role of ground in metaphysics? In this interview, metaphysician Kit Fine covers these questions and more before zeroing in on a logical puzzle of ground, related to the paradoxes of self-reference such as the Liar.

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Special thanks to Jackie Blum for the podcast art, and The Tin Box for the theme music.Click here for the full list of episodes!

Sources:

Kit Fine (homepage)"Vagueness, truth, and logic" (Kit Fine)"A Guide to Ground" (Kit Fine)"Some Puzzles of Ground" (Kit Fine)

Topics discussed:

0:20 - Intro to Kit Fine2:50 - Vagueness6:44 - What is ground?10:40 - Realism16:15 - Two notions of necessary ground19:10 - Relevance and ground24:35 - Ground and philosophy, cause and science28:00 - Ground and ontological reduction35:18 - Regress, circularity, and weak ground44:55 - Types of ground and the "source" of logic52:50 - Ground of ground1:03:02 - Essence and ground1:09:10 - A puzzle of ground

55 episodes

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