Metaphysics Has Stopped Working

In this lecture series, Amie L. Thomasson makes the case that something has gone wrong with metaphysics - that it has become dysfunctional. She proposes an alternative: reconceiving metaphysics as conceptual engineering, a project focused on understanding how our concepts work, and sometimes reshaping them to better serve the functions we need them to perform. Thomasson argues that determining how to reshape our concepts is not arbitrary, nor does it require mysterious philosophical insight. Instead, it demands careful attention to the roles that language and concepts play in our lives. She applies this framework to moral discourse, truth talk in a post-truth era, and concepts like race, gender, marriage, and death. Throughout, she connects her proposal to historical traditions in philosophy, showing that functionally oriented thinking has deep roots. Thomasson concludes that this work is not optional. It's central to human life, and more important now than ever.