The Principle of Sufficient Reason
A Reassessment

In this 2006 volume, Alexander Pruss examines the substantive philosophical issues raised by the Principle of Sufficient Reason.

Alexander R. Pruss (Author)

9780521859592, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 March 2006

350 pages
23.5 x 16 x 2.6 cm, 0.61 kg

"This is a masterly treatment of the Principle of Sufficient Reason in a multitude of its philosophical guises and contexts...the book is an excellent achievement, and I can think of no sufficient reason why it should not grace the shelves of any philosopher." --Dean Rickles, University of Calgary: Philosophy in Review

The Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR) says that all contingent facts must have explanation. In this 2006 volume, which was the first on the topic in the English language in nearly half a century, Alexander Pruss examines the substantive philosophical issues raised by the Principle Reason. Discussing various forms of the PSR and selected historical episodes, from Parmenides, Leibnez, and Hume, Pruss defends the claim that every true contingent proposition must have an explanation against major objections, including Hume's imaginability argument and Peter van Inwagen's argument that the PSR entails modal fatalism. Pruss also provides a number of positive arguments for the PSR, based on considerations as different as the metaphysics of existence, counterfactuals and modality, negative explanations, and the everyday applicability of the PSR. Moreover, Pruss shows how the PSR would advance the discussion in a number of disparate fields, including meta-ethics and the philosophy of mathematics.

1 Introduction
2. Reflection on some historical episodes
3. The CP and the PSR
objections to the PSR
4. A modern version of the Hume objection
5. The anti-theological argument: 'There are no necessary beings'
6. Modal fatalism
7. Free will
8. Quantum mechanics
9. Turning Leibniz against the PSR
10. What survives the criticisms of the PSR?
justification of the PSR
11. Self-evidence
12. Three Thomistic arguments
13. Modal arguments
14. Is the universe reasonable?
15. Explanation of negative states of affairs
16. The puzzle of the everyday applicability of the PSR
17. Inference to the best or only explanation
18. Inductive scepticism
19. The nature of possibility
20. Conclusions.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of science [PDA], Philosophy of mathematics [PBB], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ]