Jonathan Schaffer | Is There a Fundamental Level, Continuation

Reading for this meeting is
https://opaque-artichoke-859.notion.site/Jonathan-Schaffer-Is-There-a-Fundamental-Level-Part-2-20f2a602b2fc8053b655cc18962abe30?source=copy_link

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The Readings we have done so far and other past meetings:
https://opaque-artichoke-859.notion.site/Phil-Gamblers-Events-Reading-List-a8ec151f63c045808c5faa4f25aeb554?pvs=4

Our Discord Group:
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Podcast:
You can also learn about this paper using our podcast.

There will be a review of page 1-15 before the meeting. So... incentive to come early.

Last time, we explored the opening of Jonathan Schaffer’s provocative paper “Is There a Fundamental Level?”—a challenge to the deeply ingrained metaphysical picture that reality has a base layer. In this next session, we dive deeper into Schaffer’s core arguments.
We’ll pick up at page 14 and continue through page 20, where Schaffer examines several traditional motivations for believing in a fundamental level—such as the avoidance of infinite regress, the appeal to scientific reduction, and structural simplicity. He then introduces his own “priority monism”: the idea that the whole cosmos is more fundamental than its parts.
Expect a close reading and an open discussion. We’ll ask:

• Is infinite descent in the grounding chain really so problematic?
• How does Schaffer reinterpret scientific reductionism?
• Can the world itself—not atoms or fields—be the most basic entity?

This is for anyone interested in metaphysics, the philosophy of science, or just curious about the deep structure of reality. All are welcome—even if you didn’t attend part one. Just read or skim pages 7–20 beforehand!