Stephen Laurence is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Sheffield, England and is co-editor with Eric Margolis of Concepts: Core Readings (1998). Cynthia Macdonald is Professor at the University of Canterbury at Christchurch, New Zealand. She is co-author with Graham Macdonald of Philosophy of Psychology (Blackwell Publishers, 1995) and Connectionism (Blackwell Publishers, 1995).

"This is a superb collection of seminal papers on fundamental matters in metaphysics: ontological commitment, possibilia, universals, substance, events, tropes, and mathematical objects. The pedagogical value of the volume is enhanced by state-of-the-art essays by leading philosophers in the field." Brian McLaughlin, Rutgers University

• List of Contributors for State of the Art Essays. Acknowledgements.Introduction: Metaphysics and Ontology: Stephen Laurence and Cynthia MacDonald.Part I: Methodology and Ontological Commitment: .State of the Art Essay.1. The Nature of Metaphysics: Peter van Inwagen.Readings.2. Descriptive and Revisionary Metaphysics: Susan Haack.3. On What There Is: W. V. O. Quine.4. Ontological Commitments: William P. Alston.5. Quantifiers: Susan Haack.6. Identity and Substitutivity: Richard Cartwright.Part II: Possible Worlds and Possibilia:.State of the Art Essay.7. Possible Worlds and Possibilia: William G. Lycan.Readings.8. Possible Worlds: David Lewis.9. Possible Worlds: Robert Stalnaker.10. Ways Worlds Could Be: Peter Forrest.Part III: Universals and Properties: .State of the Art Essay.11. Universals and Properties: George Bealer.Readings.12. On Properties: Hilary Putnam.13. New Work for a Theory of Universals: David Lewis.15. A Theory of Structural Universals: John Bigelow and Robert Pargetter.Part IV: Substances:.State of the Art Essay.16. Beyond Substrata and Bundles: A Prolegomenon to a Substance Ontology: Michael J. Loux.Readings.17. Bare Particulars: Edwin B. Allaire.18. Particulars Re-Clothed: V. C. Chappell.19. Another Look at Bare Particulars: Edwin B. Allaire.20. Three Versions of the Bundle Theory: James Van Cleve.Part V: Events:.State of the Art Essay.21. Ontologies of Events: Lawrence Brian Lombard.Readings.22. The Individuation of Events: Donald Devidson.23. Events as Property Exemplifications: Jaegwon Kim.Part VI: Tropes:.State of the Art Essay.24. Tropes and Other Things: Cynthia Macdonald.Readings.25. The Metaphysic of Abstract Particulars: Keith Campbell.26. Particulars in Particular Clothing: Three Trope Theories of Substance: Peter Simmons.Part VII: Mathematical Objects:.State of the Art Essay.27. Mathematical Objectivity and Mathematical objects: Hartry Field.Readings.28. Philosophy of Logic: Hilary Putnam.29. What Numbers Could Not Be: Paul Benacerraf.Index.