Towards an Indexical Paradoxico-Metaphysics

Abstract

This paper sketches a metaphysical view according to which the furniture of the universe is made of indexicals. The view draws from work in the philosophy of language and thought concerning demonstratives, proper names and other deictic operations (by Perry, Kaplan, Kripke among others). It also draws on Levinas‘ conception of the Other as beyond any substantive description. Indexicalism, as I call it, is compared with object-oriented views such as Harman‘s and Garcia‘s. Indexicalism lapses into paradox concerning totality and proves to be self-destructive. It is defended, however, as a paradoxico-metaphysics.

Keywords

• deixis
• exteriority
• paradoxico-metaphysics
• levinas
• cogburn
• indexicalism