Dispositional Pluralism

Jennifer McKitrick offers a new account of the nature of dispositions. Something has a disposition when it is disposed to behave in certain ways in certain circumstances. For example, fragile things are disposed to break when struck, and courageous people risk harm in the face of danger. Philosophers have many disagreements about dispositions. Some think that if we knew enough science, we would see that there really are no dispositions. Others say every feature of everything is really a disposition! Some say that dispositions are causal powers that produce an effect. Others say that dispositions make no causal difference at all! This book discusses these and other debates about dispositions and defends the view that dispositions are abundant and diverse. The account of dispositions developed here is intended to help answer other philosophical questions, since it is often helpful to think of other philosophical concepts, such as beliefs or values, in terms of dispositions.