Jonathan Schaffer | Is There a Fundamental Level?

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Join us this week as we dive into Jonathan Schaffer’s influential paper “Is There a Fundamental Level?”, where he challenges the default metaphysical view that reality is structured with a bottom-most level of fundamental entities.
Schaffer argues against the "atomist" assumption that there is a privileged base layer of reality from which everything else derives. Instead, he defends a priority monism, where the cosmos as a whole is the most fundamental entity, and all parts are derivative.
We’ll discuss:

• What does it mean for something to be fundamental?
• Is it plausible that the universe has no base level?
• Can metaphysical structure be top-down rather than bottom-up?
• How does Schaffer’s view compare to traditional reductionism or emergence?

This is a great session for anyone interested in metaphysics, philosophy of science, or the foundational structure of reality.
Bring your thoughts, questions, and coffee. No prior expertise required—just curiosity!