Elder-Vass, Dave (2025) Segmenting Ontology. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Ontological universalism is widespread, but this paper argues that the validity of many ontological
claims is bounded, and thus that segmented (though not fragmented) ontologies may represent the
world more accurately. To be more specific, it criticizes the work of Karen Barad, and of James
Ladyman and Don Ross. Both draw ontological conclusions from interpretations of quantum
mechanics and then attempt to universalize the reach of those conclusions. By contrast, the paper
adapts a loosely Bhaskarian critical realism to develop a segmented ontology. This identifies two
boundaries between three related but also substantially different ontological segments. At the
boundary between the quantum and material segments, quantum particles can become entangled
with larger systems in ways that provide determinate relative locations for material objects. This
enables the emergence of causal powers that depend on determinate spatial relations between the
parts of material objects. At the boundary between the material and social segments, mental
properties provide the possibility of human agents forming intentional relations and thus enable the
emergence of social causal powers. Regardless of the merits of this particular ontological scheme, I
argue that segmented ontologies are likely to fit better with the causal structure of our universe.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Elder-Vass, Dave d.elder-vass@lboro.ac.uk 0000-0002-0789-660X
Additional Information:	Forthcoming in Synthese.
Keywords:	Critical realism; agential realism; structural realism; quantum mechanics; social ontology.
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Sociology
Depositing User:	MR Dave Elder-Vass
Date Deposited:	19 Jun 2025 13:33
Last Modified:	19 Jun 2025 13:33
Item ID:	25735
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Sociology
Date:	17 June 2025
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/25735

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