The book is an original treatise designed to defend an original, non-Aristotelian theory of categories. Chisholm argues that there are necessary things and contingent things; necessary things being things that are not capable of coming into being or passing away. He defends the argument from design, and thus includes the category of necessary substance (God). Further contentions of the essay are that attributes are also necessary beings, but not necessary substances, and that human beings are contingent substances but may not be material substances.
The book is an original treatise designed to defend an original, non-Aristotelian theory of categories. Chisholm argues that there are necessary things and contingent things; necessary things being things that are not capable of coming into being or passing away. He defends the argument from design, and thus includes the category of necessary substance (God). Further contentions of the essay are that attributes are also necessary beings, but not necessary substances, and that human beings are contingent substances but may not be material substances.
Part I. the Realistic Background: 1. Introduciton; 2. The nature of attributes; 3. The existence of attributes; 4. Propositions as reducible to attributes; 5. The intentional structure of attributes; 6. The primacy of the intentional; Part II. The Basic Categories: 7. The ontology of the theory of classes; 8. The nature of relations; 9. Times and the temporal; 10. States and events; 11. Spatial entities and material substances; 12. Persons and their bodies; Part III. Homeless Objects: 13. Appearances; 14. Intentionalia; 15. Fictitious objects; Part IV. Application to Philosophical Theology: 16. Necessary substance.
This book can be viewed as a summation of Roderick Chisholm's views on an enormous range of topics in metaphysics and epistemology.
"Chisholm's approach is characteristically concise... There are ideas aplenty here..." Robert Pasnau, Review of Metaphysics "This is an exciting book of sketches of wrok on various aspects of Chisholm's system as it has progressed since his On Metaphysics (1989)." David B. Martens, Philosophy in Review "...a unique blend of honest, dogged devotion to detail and overarching philosophical vision..." Frederick Kroon, Dialogue "This important book should be read by all who have a serious interest in metaphysics, epistemology, or philosophy of mind. Chisholm's ontological theory is essentially one of great strength and integrity. It is a most impressive and instructive example of how systematic philosophy grounded in formal ontology can be pursued profitably." Gary S. Rosenkrantz, The Philosophical Review
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