New Books Network Amie Thomasson, "Rethinking Metaphysics" (Oxford UP, 2025)
Nov 10, 2025
Amie Thomasson, a leading philosopher at Dartmouth College, redefines the landscape of metaphysics in her upcoming book. She challenges traditional views, suggesting that metaphysical inquiries should focus on conceptual engineering rather than seeking universal truths. Thomasson delves into how different discourses require distinct evaluative criteria and critiques the assumption that all metaphysical questions serve the same purpose. By advocating for a more nuanced approach, she invites listeners to reconsider which metaphysical problems are genuinely substantive.
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Metaphysics As Conceptual Engineering
- Amie Thomasson argues metaphysics often mistakenly assumes all concepts function the same way, causing unnecessary ontological debates.
- She proposes a deflationary, conceptual-engineering approach focusing on how concepts work and what schemes to adopt.
From Early Seminar To Metametaphysics
- Thomasson recounts starting philosophy after taking a metaphysics and epistemology seminar in college that matched lifelong questions.
- Her dissertation and early work on fiction and ordinary objects led her gradually toward metametaphysical concerns.
Broad View Of Conceptual Engineering
- Thomasson broadens conceptual engineering to include reverse-engineering, reparative, and constructive tasks for concepts and terms.
- She treats engineers' assessment and retrofitting of systems as analogous to philosophers' work on conceptual schemes.
