Abstract
Metaphysical modelling is a method in (epistemologically enlightened) metaphysics. It uses models for the philosophical analysis of metaphysico-epistemological situations. In this paper, the method is applied to a set of metaphysical questions that concern the relationship between God and the world, and the relationship between human beings and the world. The questions revolve around a center: What is it that ultimately determines reality? This complex metaphysical subject is treated in a simplified and downsized manner: on the scale of board games. As will be seen, the unusual perspective provided by the model leads to new insights and has a salutary corrective effect in the metaphysico-epistemological respect. The paper also provides an analysis and defense of analogical thinking in metaphysics (of which way of thinking metaphysical modelling is a special form).
Highlights
Metaphysical modelling is a method in metaphysics
Metaphysical modelling is a method in philosophy that seeks to draw conclusions about a large and complex metaphysical situation from a small and simple model of it
Metaphysics of “the real thing.”1 Metaphysical modelling—an indirect method—is the method chosen here because dealing directly with the relevant large and complex metaphysical situation itself has proven to be exceedingly difficult for human intelligence; it has rather tended to lead to epistemological self-deceptions
Summary
A board game qua type is an abstract structure with six features: 2. A round of Chess that a Chess-theoretician abstractly envisages and abstractly describes is an actual board game qua abstract token, and the game of Chess itself is an actual board game qua type (it is because it has actual instantiations, abstract and concrete ones) It is possible (that is, it is not outright unreasonable) to believe that every board game qua type and every board game qua abstract token is actual (an actual being)—and would be actual even if there were no intelligent beings in the universe. This belief is the result of applying Platonism—in other words, (extreme) realism about abstract entities—to board games qua types and to board games qua abstract tokens It is possible (not outright unreasonable) to believe that any board game qua concrete token, whether it is actual or not, could be actual even if there were no intelligent beings in the universe. No matter whether they are true or not: If I were asked to invent a board game qua type which sells well on the market for board games and is played by many people, what would be good general advice for me?
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