Nominalism and Its Aftermath: The Philosophy of Nelson Goodman (eBook)

Dr. Shottenkirk, like Nelson Goodman, is not only a philosopher but also has experience within tthe artworld. She is both an exhibiting artist and an art critic who has written extensively in major art criticism publications, such as Artforum and Art in America. This uniquely positions her to understand and evaluate Goodman’s broad range of thought, most especially his aesthetics.

Preface 7
Contents 10
Part I The Metaphysics 13
Chapter 1 The Basic Problem 14
1.1 General Terms 14
1.2 Universals: The Realists 15
1.3 Particulars: The Nominalists 15
1.4 The Twentieth Century Debate 17
Chapter 2 Goodman’s Nominalism 30
2.1 Abstract Entities 30
2.2 Extensionalism 34
2.3 Individuals 37
2.4 Classes 44
2.5 Qualia 48
2.6 Properties 53
Chapter 3 The Consequences of Goodman’s Nominalism for his Terminology 55
3.1 Introduction 55
3.2 No Properties 56
3.3 No Abstract Objects 57
3.4 Reference not Meaning 60
3.5 No Classes 61
3.6 No Fictive Reference 64
Part II The Epistemology 66
Chapter 4 Twentieth Century Epistemology 67
4.1 Introduction 67
4.2 Goodman Adopts the Postivists’ Aversion to Metaphysics 69
4.3 Goodman Rejects the Positivists’ Sense Data and Their Phenomenal Reality 72
4.4 Goodman Rejects the Positivists’ “The Given” 73
4.5 Goodman Adopts Semantics as Reference, not Meaning 74
4.6 Goodman Adopts the Rejection of the Analytic 75
Chapter 5 Constructionalism 77
5.1 Adequacy Criterion 77
5.2 Extensional Isomorphism 81
5.3 Anti-Foundationalism 83
5.4 Coherentism 85
5.5 Relativized Reference 87
5.6 Relativized Constructionalism 88
Chapter 6 The Effects of Goodman’s Nominalist Constructionalism on his Epistemology 91
6.1 Induction and Projection of Predicates 91
6.2 Epistemological Relativism 94
6.3 Metaphysical Pluralism:Worldmaking 97
6.4 Truth 101
Chapter 7 Influences on Goodman’s Philosophy 105
7.1 Introduction 105
7.2 Kant 106
7.3 Berkeley 108
7.4 James 109
Chapter 8 The Effects of Goodman’s Epistemology on his Terminology/Concepts 111
8.1 No Universal Truths 111
8.2 No Natural Kinds 112
8.3 Cultural Relativism 113
8.4 Knowledge from Human Sensory Systems is Non-natural and Constructed 114
8.5 No Autonomous Object 115
8.6 Object Does not Transmit Anything Other than what the Symbol System Determines 116
Part III The Aesthetics 117
Chapter 9 Goodman’s Expression as Reference 118
9.1 The Centrality of Reference 118
9.2 The Term “Expression” 119
9.3 Goodman on Representation 120
9.4 Goodman on Reference in Aesthetics 122
9.5 Goodman on Expression 125
Chapter 10 Goodman’s Metaphorical Exemplification 131
10.1 Possession and Exemplification 131
10.2 Instantiation as Part of a Constructed System 134
10.3 A Different Extension 137
Chapter 11 Aesthetics as a Branch of Epistemology 142
11.1 The Distinction Between Aesthetic and Non-aesthetic 142
11.2 The Similarity Between Aesthetic and Non-aesthetic 143
Chapter 12 The Effects of Goodman’s Nominalism andWorldmaking on his Aesthetics 147
12.1 Introduction 147
12.2 No Intensions/No Intentions 147
12.3 No Properties 151
12.4 No Referencing of General Terms or Fictive Entities 152
12.5 No Non-semantic Meanings 156
12.6 No Natural Symbols 157
12.7 No Central Role for Emotion 158
12.8 No Relation to Universal Truth 161
12.9 Conclusion 162
Bibliography 166
Index 172