Is Metaphysical Nihilism Interesting?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Is Metaphysical Nihilism Interesting?

AU - Efird, David

AU - Stoneham, Tom

PY - 2009/6

Y1 - 2009/6

N2 - Suppose nothing exists. Then it is true that nothing exists. What makes that true? Nothing! So it seems that if nothing existed, then the principle that every truth is made true by something (the truthmaker principle) would be false. So if it is possible that nothing exists, a claim often called 'metaphysical nihilism', then the truthmaker principle is not necessary. This paper explores various ways to resolve this conflict without restricting metaphysical nihilism in such a way that it would become trivial and uninteresting.

AB - Suppose nothing exists. Then it is true that nothing exists. What makes that true? Nothing! So it seems that if nothing existed, then the principle that every truth is made true by something (the truthmaker principle) would be false. So if it is possible that nothing exists, a claim often called 'metaphysical nihilism', then the truthmaker principle is not necessary. This paper explores various ways to resolve this conflict without restricting metaphysical nihilism in such a way that it would become trivial and uninteresting.

KW - SUBTRACTION ARGUMENT

KW - NEGATIVE TRUTHS

KW - TRUTHMAKERS

KW - MIGHT

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=68749085174&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/j.1468-0114.2009.01337.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1468-0114.2009.01337.x

M3 - Article

SN - 0279-0750

VL - 90

SP - 210

EP - 231

JO - Pacific philosophical quarterly

JF - Pacific philosophical quarterly

IS - 2

ER -