Abstract

This book is rather unorthodox in its composition. Instead of being a collection of essays, it consists of two series of debates between three writers. The first debate is between David Armstrong and U. T. Place, and consists of two contributions from both writers. The second debate is composed of C. B. Martin's essay "Properties and Dispositions," and two replies by each of the three authors. Although both debates are nominally about dispositions, they actually cover a wide array of questions that vary from causality to the universalia problem. This is natural, as the position taken on dispositions has consequences for views about causality, modality, laws of nature, and the ontology of properties, and vice versa. Probably the most important thing about the book is that it makes clear the central place dispositions have in ontology. This is a fact that has been forgotten all too often.