Dispositional Pluralism
ISBN: 9780198717805
Platform/Publisher: Oxford Academic / Oxford University Press
Digital rights: Users: Unlimited; Printing: Unlimited; Download: Unlimited
Subjects: Philosophy Metaphysics/ Epistemology Philosophy of Science;

Jennifer McKitrick offers a new account of the nature of dispositions. Something has a disposition when it is disposed to behave in certain ways in certain circumstances. For example, fragile things are disposed to break when struck, and courageous people risk harm in the face of danger. Philosophers have many disagreements about dispositions. Some think that if we knew enough science, we would see that there really are no dispositions. Others say every feature ofeverything is really a disposition! Some say that dispositions are causal powers that produce an effect. Others say that dispositions make no causal difference at all! This book discusses these andother debates about dispositions and defends the view that dispositions are abundant and diverse. The account of dispositions developed here is intended to help answer other philosophical questions, since it is often helpful to think of other philosophical concepts, such as beliefs or values, in terms of dispositions.

Jennifer McKitrick is Professor and Chair of Philosophyat the Universuity of Nebraska, Lincoln, where she has worked since 2004.

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