Open research questions in Philosophy and Theoretical Science
348 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 2,873 Philosophy and Theoretical Science papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
Further exploration of multilateralism as a potential solution to the problems with bilateralism, - Investigation of the implications of switching from a bilateral to a multilateral setting
The bilateral interpretation of implication fails to account for the force of consequence. The bilateral interpretation of implication does not provide an extensionally adequate characterization of implication. The bilateral interpretation of incompatibility causes problems, including modal collapse.
The argument from vagueness for temporal parts is a challenge for four-dimensionalist endurantism. Diachronic universalism requires a version of 4DE that is compatible with unrestricted composition across time.
The paper identifies a gap in the standard approach to the logic of essence, which expresses essentialist claims using a sentential operator but gets in the way of a proper account of how the essence of x explains p. The paper argues that the sense of explanation is not ground, and that the issue has nothing to do with whether one works with a representational or worldly notion of ground.
The paper identifies a gap in the literature, namely the need for a coherent account of pregnancy that can explain birth. The paper notes that the parthood view is problematic and that the containment view is a more coherent account of pregnancy. The paper argues that the literature lacks a clear and convincing argument against the parthood view and for the containment view.
The paper identifies a gap in the literature regarding the concept of upwards essence, - It argues that the existing views on grounding and essence do not account for upwards essence
Most grounding theorists have not attempted to give a general account of how negated propositions are grounded. The existing logics of ground have not dealt with conditionals.
The paper identifies a gap in existing attempts to resolve Dasgupta's explanatory challenge. It argues that these attempts have been unsuccessful in providing a satisfying response to the challenge. The paper claims that its approach, focusing on the value of theorizing in terms of natural properties, can fill this gap.
The extent to which natural language supports realism has been underestimated. The implications of dominant accounts of number and measurement-related expressions for realism have not been fully explored.
The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature on functionalist theories of mental states, specifically with regards to the problem of radical indeterminacy. The gap arises due to the lack of consideration of the enormous size of the population relative to which causal-statistical roles are defined.
The existing literature lacks a clear account of mereological summation using abstraction principles. There is a need for a non-extensional system of mereology that can be axiomatized via abstraction principles. The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of thin objects and their existence.
The paper identifies a gap in the current understanding of reason relations and their relation to modality. The authors argue that current theories do not adequately address the concept of suspension of judgment and its relation to norms and content.
The existing literature on realism about impossible fiction relies heavily on the principle of poetic license. The principle of poetic license is not empirically adequate given the data provided by fictionality puzzles. There is a need for an alternative argument for realism about impossible fiction that does not rely on the principle of poetic license.
The paper identifies a gap in our understanding of the temporal nature of consciousness. It argues that previous views of consciousness have not adequately addressed the issue of temporal extendedness.
The paper identifies a gap in the discussion of mind-body dualism, which is the focus on the pattern of causation rather than the nature of the relation between persons and their bodies. It notes that there are attempts in the recent literature to support and refute dualism using arguments that go from solely epistemological premisses to a metaphysical conclusion.
The traditional approach to causation and explanation does not provide a complete reduction of causation to explanation. Prior work has not fully explored the connection between causation and explanation.
Indexicals and demonstratives pose significant challenges to Frege's theory of sense and reference. The transmission model of communication is challenged by the need for a shared language and common knowledge among interlocutors. The paper identifies the challenge of understanding Frege's views on human linguistic communication.
The general assumption that Frege's view of human linguistic communication aligns with the classic code or transmission model. The lack of explicitness in Frege's work on human linguistic communication. The need for a detailed analysis of Frege's theory of communication.
The gap in current research is the lack of a clear resolution to the dilemma faced by quasi-realism. The gap also includes the need for a more thorough exploration of alternative theoretical positions. The paper identifies the need for a re-evaluation of the implications of Streumer's argument.
Several inferentialistically unobjectionable restrictions do not generalize beyond particular logical systems. Other general and successful principles lack inferentialistically acceptable motivations.
Semantic conditions for moderate inferentialists – solutions to the categoricity problem · 2026 · DOIInvestigate further the scope of minimal constraints on models for different logical systems. Explore whether consistency with semantic characterized entailment can fully capture semantically characterized consequence.
Semantic conditions for moderate inferentialists – solutions to the categoricity problem · 2026 · DOIThe problem of profligacy is a gap in the current understanding of absence causation. There is a need for a principled criterion for determining which absences are causally relevant. The current accounts of absence causation are inadequate in addressing the problem of profligacy.
The paper identifies a gap in existing nominalist accounts, which cannot accommodate the phenomenon of misspelling. It argues that shape-theoretic nominalism is limited in addressing the issue of misspelling. The paper also identifies a need for a more flexible nominalist account that can explain mistakes in language use.
The inferentialist account clearly needs further development-both technical and philosophical.
Determining which grounds are immediate. Refining the account to make the grounds more efficient.
Most-cited papers in Philosophy and Theoretical Science
- Basic objects in natural categories · Cognitive Psychology · 1976 · 3,406 citations
- Natural categories · Cognitive Psychology · 1973 · 1,730 citations
- Concept image and concept definition in mathematics with particular reference to limits and continuity · Educational Studies in Mathematics · 1981 · 1,035 citations
- On the dual nature of mathematical conceptions: Reflections on processes and objects as different sides of the same coin · Educational Studies in Mathematics · 1991 · 1,006 citations
- Thing Theory · Critical Inquiry · 2001 · 920 citations
- The Semantic Conception of Truth: and the Foundations of Semantics · Philosophy and Phenomenological Research · 1944 · 893 citations
- Real Patterns · The Journal of Philosophy · 1991 · 794 citations
- Wet Ontologies, Fluid Spaces: Giving Depth to Volume through Oceanic Thinking · Environment and Planning D Society and Space · 2015 · 720 citations
- Defining the 'field at a given time.' · Psychological Review · 1943 · 695 citations
- Rethinking maps · Progress in Human Geography · 2007 · 541 citations
Most recent work
- ONE AXIOM : All Secure · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
- The Informational Profile of Valence: The Metasemantic Argument for Imperativism · The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science · 2026
- The illusion of rigor: Why analytical sophistication cannot substitute for inferential coherence · Theory and Society · 2026
- A Closer Look at 29 Theories of Consciousness · Scientific American · 2026
- Deterministic Theories · Philosophy and Phenomenological Research · 2026
- A plea for multilateralism · Philosophical Studies · 2026
- Prudential reasons and the prudential companions in guilt argument · Inquiry · 2026
- Zermelian Extensibility · Philosophy and Phenomenological Research · 2026
- The Gradability of ‘Conscious’ · Philosophy and Phenomenological Research · 2026
- Deflationism, realism, and fictionalism · Mind & Language · 2026
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