ABSTRACT
The philosophical quest for unification is ancient and powerful. It is the leitmotiv of the Upanisads, a dramatic enactment of the search for hidden connections. There are indeed good reasons for seeking unity in a philosophical theory. For any theory which introduces as primitive a distinction between different domains of thing has left at least one thing unexplained – the reason for the distinction. As a methodological principle, the philosopher should not introduce a distinction simply to fix technical problems. We might recall Nagarjuna’s maxim – the special reason for a proposed distinction must be given. We might recall too the nominalist slogan of William of Occam – do not postulate entities beyond necessity. Occam in fact rejected the Aristotelian categories, and argued for simplicity as a constraint on rational theory construction.
