Priority or Reflection? Ontological Dependence and Heterogeneity in Hegel and the Contemporary ‘Monism Renaissance’

Abstract

The aim of this article is to show that Hegel’s understanding of ontological dependence can solve what Jonathan Schaffer calls the ‘problem of heterogeneity’. While a solution to this problem is crucial to ensure the plausibility of any monist theory, canonical versions of monism in the history of Western philosophy have struggled to provide such a solution. First, the paper argues that the solutions offered by contemporary monist theorists such as Michael Della Rocca, Terry Horgan, Mathjasz Potrč and Jonathan Schaffer, are also inadequate. While acknowledging the promise of Schaffer’s revision of traditional understandings of ontological dependence, the paper argues that the understanding of dependence as priority, which Schaffer proposes as an alternative, is indeed insufficient to solve the problem of heterogeneity effectively. Secondly, the paper considers Hegel’s relevance to this debate. Offering a monist interpretation of Hegel’s metaphysics, the paper shows that Hegel identified the problem of heterogeneity as a central challenge for his philosophy. Finally, the paper argues that, while building on a criticism of traditional understandings of ontological dependence similar to Schaffer’s, Hegel’s notion of ‘reflection’, or ‘absolute negativity’, provides a better alternative understanding of ontological dependence than Schaffer’s priority, overcoming the shortcomings of traditional understandings of dependence while also not incurring the problems weighing on Schaffer’s notion of priority.