Dianoia Annual Seminar in Metaphysics & Epistemology: Karen Bennett, "Going Underground"

Karen Bennett (Rutgers University - New Brunswick)

Dianoia Annual Seminar in Metaphysics & Epistemology

Title: Going Underground

Abstract: What grounds the grounding facts? To see the question, suppose that the fact that my shirt is blue grounds the fact that my shirt is colored. So what grounds that? That is, what grounds the fact that [the fact that my shirt is blue grounds the fact that my shirt is colored]? In previous work, I have defended the view that the answer is simply the fact that my shirt is blue—more generally, that the grounds of a grounding fact are identical to the grounds of the grounded fact involved. This view has been criticized by people like Shamik Dasgupta and Gideon Rosen. In this talk, I will get rid of some confusions, clarify what the dispute is actually about, and (hopefully) make headway on resolving it. Central will be questions about the role of general connections or principles in grounding, and whether the answer is the same in all cases.

The presentation will be 45 minutes, followed by an hour for discussion. The time for the event is: Thursday 22 April, 9:00-10:45 am (Melbourne); Thursday 22 April, 12:00-1:45 am (London); Wednesday 21 April, 7:00-8:45 pm (New York).

This event will be held over Zoom. To receive the link and password, please register at https://acu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAldu6qrDgiGdPv57u-ec7JYo2VpKelp1rk. For any questions, please email [email protected].