Easy Ontology, Two-Dimensionalism, and Truthmaking

Abstract

Amie Thomasson argues that ontology is easy. That there are tables (e.g.) is settled by a mixture of conceptual analysis—to discover under what conditions the concept ‘table’ is appropriately deployed—and straightforward empirical observation—looking in my kitchen to see that those conditions are met. There is, then, no distinctively metaphysical work to be done in settling whether there are tables, according to Thomasson. This paper agrees with Thomasson that it is easy to establish that tables exist and gives a two-dimensionalist defense of this claim. However, it argues that a distinctively metaphysical question remains: what must the world be like to make it the case that tables exist? It defends this view against objections from Thomasson, and draws out some morals concerning the project of ontology.