Special Issue "Fiction and Metaphysics"

Dear Colleagues,

The philosophy of fiction has become an acknowledged part of mainstream philosophy, with a history that goes back at least to the early debates about the role of poets and dramatists found in the works of Aristotle and Plato. However, one theme in the philosophy of fiction has probably dominated the interests of contemporary philosophers more than any other: the ontology and metaphysics of the objects or entities that we encounter in fiction. These include fictional characters—individuals who make their first appearance in a work of fiction and are in one way or another meant to engage the interest of readers—but also inanimate objects such as fictional places, fictional belief-systems, fictional sexes, and much more. To talk of their fictionality suggests that fictional entities constitute a special type of entity. Not surprisingly, then, among the fundamental philosophical questions we can ask about fictional entities are questions about their nature: what kind of thing is a fictional entity, and how does it differ not only from ordinary individuals but also from other allegedly nonexistent entities such as hallucinatory objects? There is now a formidable array of theories in this area. However, an even more fundamental question is: why suppose that there are any fictional entities in the first place? Why suppose they are any more real than the objects of our dreams? The anti-realist viewpoint on this question is also alive and well. These questions have in turn led to other questions, among them the question of how broadly we should construe the class of fictional objects. Some think the class should be extended to include entities (fictional surrogates) that are imported into fiction from the real world but are not identical to their real-world counterparts, such as the Napoleon of War and Peace. Others think that there are fictional properties and kinds that cannot be reduced to ordinary properties—being a hobbit or a bandersnatch, for instance. There are yet other theorists who worry about the way the philosophical literature has tended to focus on written works of fiction. Is there anything significantly different about characters encountered in visual media such as TV, film, or video games, for example?

Fiction and fictional entities have proved a rich area for philosophical investigation over the last few decades, and there is no sign that interest is waning.  This Special Issue on Fiction and Metaphysics is devoted to an exploration of the many questions the topic is continuing to raise.

In this Special Issue, original research articles are welcome. Papers devoted to an exploration of some of the newer issues are especially welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Frederick Kroon
Prof. Dr. Alberto Voltolini
Guest Editors

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