Getting Real: Ockham on the Human Contribution to the Nature and Production of Artifacts
Given his known predilection for ontological parsimony, Ockham’s ontology of artifacts is unsurprisingly reductionist: artifacts are nothing over and above their existing and appropriately ordered parts. However, the case of artifacts is notable in that they are real objects that human artisans prod...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Philosophies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/7/5/90 |
| _version_ | 1797225270003892224 |
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| author | Jenny Pelletier |
| author_facet | Jenny Pelletier |
| author_sort | Jenny Pelletier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Given his known predilection for ontological parsimony, Ockham’s ontology of artifacts is unsurprisingly reductionist: artifacts are nothing over and above their existing and appropriately ordered parts. However, the case of artifacts is notable in that they are real objects that human artisans produce by bringing about a real change: they spatially rearrange existing natural thing(s) or their parts for the sake of some end. This article argues that the human contribution to the nature and production of artifacts is two-fold: (1) the artisan’s cognitive grasp of her expertise and her decision to deploy that expertise are the two efficient causes necessary to explain the existence of an artifact, and (2) the purpose that the artisan had in mind when she decided to make an artifact fixes the function(s) of the artifact such that an artisan’s purpose is the final cause necessary to explain what an artifact is. Artifacts indeed exist, owing what they are and that they are to intelligent and volitional human activity, which Ockham never denies. The article submits that a myopic focus on Ockham’s indisputable reductionism does not exhaust what is metaphysically interesting and relevant about artifacts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:34:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2ff69959bfb94967bac21224aa5f0e55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2409-9287 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:06:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophies |
| spelling | doaj.art-2ff69959bfb94967bac21224aa5f0e552024-04-03T10:09:30ZengMDPI AGPhilosophies2409-92872022-08-01759010.3390/philosophies7050090Getting Real: Ockham on the Human Contribution to the Nature and Production of ArtifactsJenny Pelletier0Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, SwedenGiven his known predilection for ontological parsimony, Ockham’s ontology of artifacts is unsurprisingly reductionist: artifacts are nothing over and above their existing and appropriately ordered parts. However, the case of artifacts is notable in that they are real objects that human artisans produce by bringing about a real change: they spatially rearrange existing natural thing(s) or their parts for the sake of some end. This article argues that the human contribution to the nature and production of artifacts is two-fold: (1) the artisan’s cognitive grasp of her expertise and her decision to deploy that expertise are the two efficient causes necessary to explain the existence of an artifact, and (2) the purpose that the artisan had in mind when she decided to make an artifact fixes the function(s) of the artifact such that an artisan’s purpose is the final cause necessary to explain what an artifact is. Artifacts indeed exist, owing what they are and that they are to intelligent and volitional human activity, which Ockham never denies. The article submits that a myopic focus on Ockham’s indisputable reductionism does not exhaust what is metaphysically interesting and relevant about artifacts.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/7/5/90Ockhamartifactsontologyefficient causalityfinal causalityends |
| spellingShingle | Jenny Pelletier Getting Real: Ockham on the Human Contribution to the Nature and Production of Artifacts Philosophies Ockham artifacts ontology efficient causality final causality ends |
| title | Getting Real: Ockham on the Human Contribution to the Nature and Production of Artifacts |
| title_full | Getting Real: Ockham on the Human Contribution to the Nature and Production of Artifacts |
| title_fullStr | Getting Real: Ockham on the Human Contribution to the Nature and Production of Artifacts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Getting Real: Ockham on the Human Contribution to the Nature and Production of Artifacts |
| title_short | Getting Real: Ockham on the Human Contribution to the Nature and Production of Artifacts |
| title_sort | getting real ockham on the human contribution to the nature and production of artifacts |
| topic | Ockham artifacts ontology efficient causality final causality ends |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/7/5/90 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jennypelletier gettingrealockhamonthehumancontributiontothenatureandproductionofartifacts |