David Armstrong
contemporaryAnalytic Philosophy (Australian Realism)1926 – 2014
David Malet Armstrong (1926-2014) was an Australian philosopher known for his systematic defense of scientific realism and a naturalistic, physicalist metaphysics. He made influential contributions to the theory of universals, the philosophy of mind, and the metaphysics of laws of nature, arguing for a posteriori realism about universals grounded in empirical science.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed a theory of universals as immanent, a posteriori entities grounded in science
2
Defended the central-state identity theory of mind, identifying mental states with brain states
3
Formulated the Dretske-Tooley-Armstrong account of laws of nature as relations between universals
4
Authored the influential two-volume 'Universals and Scientific Realism' (1978)
5
Advanced a truthmaker theory of truth in 'Truth and Truthmakers' (2004)