Varieties of Things: Foundations of Contemporary Metaphysics explores the fundamental ontological categories of things; things that we encounter in everyday life, such as material substances, persons, events and universals.The author begins with a thorough and accessible discussion of the nature and aims of metaphysics. She then goes on to develop tools that can be used to engage in metaphysical thinking about the basic varieties of things.The book both surveys existing accounts of the natures of these kinds of things, and argues for unique original positions of its own. The arguments support a systematically anti-reductionist view of the basic ontological categories. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Varieties of Things is an extended essay on metaphysics, specifically ontology. It begins with a discussion of the nature of metaphysics and its methods. The first chapter focuses on Susan Haack's view of metaphysics, and the second on the ideas of P. F. Strawson and W. V. Quine. Macdonald (Univ. of Canterbury, NZ) has many interesting things to say about these issues. She also defends the idea, put forward by Quine, that one should admit "no entity without identity"--i.e., that ontology should allow only entities for which there are identity conditions. The focus then shifts to a discussion of four ontological categories: individual substance, persons, events, and universals. The author defends an ontology that includes such kinds, and opposes any attempt to reduce them to other kinds. This book is clearly written and engaging, but demands some background in philosophy. It should be in college and university libraries, and would be a good text for an upper-level undergraduate course in metaphysics. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. Upper-division Undergraduates; Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty. Reviewed by J. Hoffman. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.