Facets of Reality

Questions about reality—such as “What is real?” or “What does it mean to be real?”—rank among philosophy’s oldest and most enduring. Though central to philosophical inquiry for centuries, such questions were somewhat sidelined in the 20th century, as influential movements like the Vienna Circle and Ordinary Language Philosophy approached them with skepticism. Over the past two decades, however, questions about reality have returned to the spotlight. This renewed interest is fueled by several developments: frameworks such as possible worlds semantics and the formal theory of grounding now bring fresh logical and methodological precision to age-old metaphysical concerns. Additionally, recent debates have shown that traditional reflections on reality resonate with socially relevant issues and with novel phenomena emerging from the digital age. Finally, some argue that skepticism toward questions of reality often reflects deeper meta-philosophical commitments that warrant reconsideration. This volume brings together a wide range of perspectives on today’s metaphysical debates about reality, addressing both foundational questions and timely, applied concerns.