Acknowledgements
Introduction: What Is Ontology? What Is Metaontology?
Part I: Quinean Metaontology
1. On Denoting
2. 1948: On What There Is
3. The Standard View
Part II: Alternative Metaontologies
4. Ontological Pluralism and Neo-Fregeanism
5. Carnap's View of Ontology and Neo-Carnapians
6. Fictionalism
7. Meinongianism
8. The Grounding Approach
Part III: Ontology
9. Abstract Objects I: Numbers & Co.
10. Abstract Objects II: Linguistic Types, Propositions, and Values
11. Possible Worlds
12. Material Objects
13. Fictional Objects
14. Beyond Particulars: Properties and Events
Bibliography
Index
Francesco Berto is Structural Chair of Metaphysics at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Research Leader at the Northern Institute of Philosophy, University of Aberdeen, UK.
Ontology and Metaontology: A Contemporary Guide is a clear and accessible survey of ontology, focusing on the most recent trends in the discipline.
Divided into parts, the first half characterizes metaontology: the discourse on the methodology of ontological inquiry, covering the main concepts, tools, and methods of the discipline, exploring the notions of being and existence, ontological commitment, paraphrase strategies, fictionalist strategies, and other metaontological questions. The second half considers a series of case studies, introducing and familiarizing the reader with concrete examples of the latest research in the field. The basic sub-fields of ontology are covered here via an accessible and captivating exposition: events, properties, universals, abstract objects, possible worlds, material beings, mereology, fictional objects.
The guide's modular structure allows for a flexible approach to the subject, making it suitable for both undergraduates and postgraduates looking to better understand and apply the exciting developments and debates taking place in ontology today.