ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the meaning, motivation and available forms of naturalized metaphysics. Arguments are given in favour of what will be called ‘moderately naturalistic metaphysics’, an approach that, while acknowledging the priority of science in providing knowledge of the natural world, also preserves the autonomy of metaphysical inquiry. In particular, it is argued that, due to the fact that any explanatory hypothesis is underdetermined by the empirical data, radical naturalism – the view that metaphysics should be made entirely dependent on science or even discontinued – is untenable; and that science and metaphysics should be developed in parallel, the former providing substance and support to metaphysical hypotheses, and the latter making the interpretation of scientific theories possible.
