Why Methodological Naturalism Impacts Metaphysical Theorizing

Abstract This chapter discusses in general terms how methodological naturalism will impact metaphysical theorizing. It is of course true that few, if any, philosophical debates can be settled by collecting data in a laboratory. But the same is true of scientific debates. Instead, scientists rely on extra-empirical principles, and we should expect these kinds of principles to impact all sorts of metaphysical debates, including debates that are usually considered to be insulated from issues to do with science, like the debate over the existence of possible worlds or the debate over the nature of composite objects. It follows that if one adopts methodological naturalism one should be deeply suspicious of the idea that there are any metaphysical debates that are wholly insulated from scientific considerations.