‘Here be revisionary metaphysics!’ A critique of a concern about process philosophy

Giladi, Paul

Abstract

In this paper, I argue that John Dupré and Daniel Nicholson's ‘process manifesto’ is ironically more sympathetic to descriptive metaphysics than to revisionary metaphysics. Focusing on their argument that any process philosophy automatically slides into Whiteheadian obscurantism if it does not just rest content with revealing the problematic features of ordinary language, I argue that their position occludes a logical space, one in which revisionary metaphysics is articulated without any Whiteheadian obscurantism and involves no dereliction of critical/revisionary orientation. I argue that key features of the respective critical social ontologies of Judith Butler and Talia Mae Bettcher occupy such a logical space.

Citation

Giladi, P. (2021). ‘Here be revisionary metaphysics!’ A critique of a concern about process philosophy. Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review, 60(2), 257-275. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0012217321000068

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 1, 2021
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Sep 8, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 8, 2023
• Journal: Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review
• Print ISSN: 0012-2173
• Electronic ISSN: 1759-0949
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 60
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 257-275
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0012217321000068
• Keywords: process philosophy, revisionary metaphysics, descriptive metaphysics, gender, critical social ontology, creativity