Metaphysical foundationalism

Metaphysical foundationalism is the view that ground is well-founded. Despite its reputation as the default view of the general structure of reality, it is a view with few explicit defenders whose theoretical virtues remain largely unexplored. This paper makes an abductive case for metaphysical foundationalism, which lays emphasis on these virtues as relevant to theory choice. As part of the discussion I outline a new theory of ground and of generative relations, and describe a formalism for regimenting it.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Philosophical Studies
Published
2025-11-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11098-025-02444-3
Primary Topic
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Metaphysical foundationalism

Michael J. Bevan
Philosophical Studies
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
article

Metaphysical foundationalism

Michael J. Bevan
article en

Abstract

Metaphysical foundationalism is the view that ground is well-founded. Despite its reputation as the default view of the general structure of reality, it is a view with few explicit defenders whose theoretical virtues remain largely unexplored. This paper makes an abductive case for metaphysical foundationalism, which lays emphasis on these virtues as relevant to theory choice. As part of the discussion I outline a new theory of ground and of generative relations, and describe a formalism for regimenting it.

Philosophical Studies
University of Colorado Boulder (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 64%
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Metaphysical foundationalism — Michael J. Bevan · Philosophical Studies (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS