Idea and Ontology

Marc A. Hight presents a rigorous investigation into the history of early modern metaphysics in Idea and Ontology: An Essay in Early Modern Metaphysics of Ideas, Volume 1. This scholarly work challenges the common historical narrative that the rise of the way of ideas led to the abandonment of traditional ontology. Instead of viewing the shift toward epistemology as a decline in metaphysical concern, Hight argues that the ontological status of ideas remained a central pillar of philosophical inquiry.

By examining the foundational texts of thinkers such as Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, this volume reevaluates the relationship between ideas and substance. Idea and Ontology: An Essay in Early Modern Metaphysics of Ideas, Volume 1 provides a corrective to the perceived antimetaphysical bias in modern philosophy. This text serves as a significant contribution to the fields of ontology and metaphysics, offering a more accurate historical account of how ideas shaped early modern thought.