Bøker av Eli (Professor of Philosophy Hirsch

This volume presents a distinctive metaontological perspective that combines two ideas: first, that objects in the world exist in complete independence of language or thought; but, second, that the world can be correctly and adequately described without employing our ordinary concept of "the objects that exist in the world."

The book as a whole tackles a cluster of central metaphysical issues in a consistently clear and careful manner. Moreover, Hirsch is pleasantly undogmatic and endeavors to give fair treatment to those views he eventually rejects. His arguments for his own conclusions are frequently all-the-more forceful for that. The standard of argument is high and Hirsch has something interesting to say on every topic he discusses.

This monograph identifies and explores a philosophical dilemma which the author calls "the division problem". This is defined as the problem of explaining why language divides up reality in one way rather than another, or the rational basis for languages to contain certain types of words.