BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//Grails iCalendar plugin//NONSGML Grails iCalendar plugin//EN VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260403T181443Z DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20150318T120000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20150318T140000 SUMMARY:Pragmatism\, Naturalism and Abstracta UID:20260403T182859Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-f5d4878dd-4s97k TZID:Australia/Melbourne LOCATION:La Trobe University\, Melbourne\, Australia DESCRIPTION:

In 1980 Sellars and Quine exchanged a series of articles and letters on the problem of abstracta. For the most part\, they were mutually sympathetic to each other&rsquo\;s broadly naturalistic goals. They differed fundamentally\, however\, over whether or not certain abstract entities (in particular\, classes\, sets and properties) are ontologically permissible. According to Quine&rsquo\;s methodological naturalism\, any entities (abstracta included) may be admitted into one&rsquo\;s ontology if they are considered indispensable to a successful theory&rsquo\;s workability. Sellars\, on the other hand\, regards a requirement for abstract entities as a sign that a theory has strayed from a properly naturalistic framework. This disagreement is interesting in that both thinkers are neo-pragmatists inspired by the linguistic turn\, and both are self-professed naturalists. In other words\, the conflict points toward differences in the way the terms &lsquo\;pragmatism&rsquo\; and &lsquo\;naturalism&rsquo\; are employed as philosophical frameworks. I look in detail at the debate and draw some philosophical lessons from it. I argue that\, in this area at least\, Sellars has the better naturalistic credentials. In particular I claim that Huw Price&rsquo\;s distinction between object naturalism and subject naturalism sheds interesting light on the issues at the heart of the Sellars/Quine dispute\, and points towards a new (pragmatic) way of resolving the harsh contrast between the manifest and scientific images. \;

ORGANIZER;CN=Aaron Harrison: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR