One aim of this workshop is to give the
main participants a chance to work together to discuss a common pragmatic approach to metaphysics from perspective(s) from philosophy of science. The invited speakers
share an interest in pragmatic approaches to metaphysics and to philosophy of science. We want to structure this workshop to maximize the opportunity to make progress
on thinking about this, and to leave with some kind of shared idea about what is valuable or would work in fleshing out such a view.
Since we have comparatively little time together, one way to make the most of it is advance preparation. In this spirit, we will have required and
recommended readings available before the workshop, which all participants (even audience members!) will be expected to complete in advance. We will also have
an initial set of framing or discussion questions to illuminate the problems in relating metaphysics and philosophy of science, as well as possible ways forward, including the
role of pragmatism in bridging this discussion. These will be available on this webpage.
This workshop is associated with
a separate senior/graduate seminar at SFU, on the relationship between metaphysics and philosophy of science, including historical rejections of metaphysics by pragmatism on the one hand, and
logical empiricism on the other. An overview of that course can be found here, and the course readings can be found here.