DISPOSITIONAL ONTOLOGY AS A BASIS FOR STRUCTURAL REALISM

Abstract

M. Esfeld has proposed to use the ontology of external causal properties, or dispositions, of objects as a basis for ontic structural realism. It is this approach that makes possible realism towards objects as they are understood by S. French and J. Ladyman –objects are mere nodes in the structure. In our paper dispositional ontology is con-trasted withD. Lewis’ metaphysics of categorical properties, and through this juxtaposition the last is rendered inappropriate and the first appears promising as a foundation for structural realism and scientific metaphysics.