Metaphysical Dependence: Grounding and Reduction

Abstract This chapter lays down principles for a relation of metaphysical grounding — the ‘in virtue of’ relation — understood as a relation among facts. The discussion makes it plausible that the relation is well understood and potentially useful for philosophical purposes. The chapter then explores the connections between the grounding relation and other metaphysical notions, including real definition, essential truth, and metaphysical reduction understood as a relation among facts.