Baker’s Theory of Material Constitution and Thinking Things into Existence

• Authors: Kıymaz Tufan
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The paper provides a critical evaluation of Lynne Rudder Baker’s nonmereological theory of material constitution in light of the “thinking into existence” objection, formulated by Theodore Sider and Dean W. Zimmerman. Although Baker responds to it, she focuses on its specific versions presented by Sider and Zimmerman and does not address the source of the problem. Baker maintains that beliefs, social practices, and conventions can bring a new intention-dependent object into existence. However, as I argue, the thinking into existence objection shows that constituted objects, if there are any, are ontologically independent of beliefs, social practices, and conventions. In fact, Baker’s theory doesn’t give us any reason for believing that intentiondependent objects are any more real than fictional objects.

Keywords

EN

MATERIAL CONSTITUTION,; ONTOLOGY,; FICTIONAL OBJECTS,; THINKING INTO EXISTENCE

• Publisher: Warsaw University, Institute of Philosophy
• Journal: Filozofia Nauki
• Year: 2018
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 4(104)
• Pages: 49-56

Contributors

author

Kıymaz Tufan

• Department of Philosophy, Bilkent University, H249 Bilkent, Ankara 06800, Turkey