Ontology I-II. [antikvár]

Ontology ITHE FURNITURE OF THE WORLDMARIO BUNGE McGill University, Montreal, CanadaThe Treatise on Basic Philosophy expounds the first philosophical synthesis to have been conceived after the end of what has been called the Age of Analysis. Unlike many a system in traditional philosophy, Bunge's is formu-lated in a clear fashion and with the assistance of formai tools such as elementary modern algebra. Besides, it is science-oriented and its author hopes it may help to understand science as well as freeing scientific research from obsolete philosophical maxims. In sum, the Treatise presents a new system of philosophy in tune with our time.The first two volumes propose a new semantical theory and, indeed, the only existing theory that elucidates and interrelates all of the key semantic con-cepts met with in the analysis of ordinary knowledge and science. In particular, these volumes present originál theories of reference (as distinct from exten-sion), of itensions, of meaning, and of truths of fact. Somé use is made of elementary set-theoretic and algebraic concepts, such as those of lattice and Boolean algebra. On the other hand modal logics are not employed and model theory is dealt with only tangentially.This work constitutes the first detailed and systematic treatment of the semantics of empirical knowledge (as distinct from the semantics of either mathematics or natural language).The present volume offers a new ontology. This system is materialist (though not reductionist) and dynamicist (though neither dialectical nor Whiteheadian). It is in tune with contemporary science and built with the help of somé formai tools. It elucidates and systematizes, among others, the concepts of substance and property, thing and system, possibility and actuality, probability and law, state and event, and space and time. Many of the axioms and theorems of the system are found to be presupposed or else implied by contemporary scientific research. Therefore the work constitutes a bridge between the metaphysical tradition and contemporary philosophy of science. There are many examples and bibliographical references.