Some of philosophy’s biggest questions, both historically and today, are
in-virtue-of
questions:
In virtue of what is an action right or wrong? In virtue of what am I the same person my mother bore? In virtue of what is an artwork beautiful?
Philosophers attempt to answer many of these types of
questions, but philosophers are also increasingly focusing on what an
question is in the first place. Many assume, at least as a working hypothesis, that
questions involve a distinctively metaphysical kind of determinative explanation called “ground.” This
Handbook
surveys the state of the art on ground as well as its connections and applications to other topics. The central issues of ground are discussed in 37 chapters, all written exclusively for this volume by a wide range of leading experts. The chapters are organized into the following'sections:
I. History
II. Explanation and Determination
III. Logic and Structure
IV. Connections
V. Applications
Introductions at the start of each section provide an overview of the section’s contents, and a list of Related Topics at the end of each chapter points readers to other germane areas throughout the volume. The resulting volume is accessible enough for advanced students and informative enough for researchers. It is essential reading for anyone hoping to get clearer on what the biggest questions of philosophy are really asking.