Argumenta – Journal of Analytic Philosophy

Abstract: It is often assumed that a commitment to scientific realism naturally, if not necessarily, accompanies a commitment to naturalizing metaphysics. If one denies that our scientific theories are approximately true, it would be unclear why one should index metaphysics to them. My aim is to show that the project of naturalizing metaphysics does not require realist assumptions. I will identify two success conditions for the project of disentangling naturalized metaphysics from realism: 1) the narrow success condition, which requires the antirealist to explain why naturalized metaphysics is preferable to non-naturalized metaphysics, and 2) the broad success condition, which requires the antirealist to explain why naturalized metaphysics is preferable to metaphysical quietism. I believe that the antirealist can meet these conditions. Although I will not defend any definitive way of meeting them, I will explore argumentative avenues open to the antirealist. In particular, I will consider some conceptions of naturalized metaphysics, discuss their antirealist-compatible expected payoffs, and consider whether those payoffs enable the antirealist to meet the success conditions of the project. I will find that the antirealist has several argumentative avenues open to them.

It is common to think that a commitment to scientific realism at least goes naturally with, if not necessarily accompanies, the project of naturalizing metaphysics. It is prima facie puzzling why one who does not believe that our scientific theories are approximately true would, at the same time, insist that metaphysics should be indexed to them. If one thought, further, that our scientific theories were false or likely false, one might reasonably believe that it would spell doom for a metaphysics based on or derived from science. What would be the value of a metaphysics anchored to false science? My aim in this paper is to show that the project of naturalizing metaphysics can come apart from the assumption of realism—and to explore how…

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