Higher‐order metaphysics

Subverting a once widely held Quinean paradigm, there is growing consensus among philosophers of logic that higher-order quantifiers (which bind variables in the syntactic position predicates and sentences) are perfectly legitimate useful instrument logico-philosophical toolbox, while neither being reducible to nor fully explicable terms first-order singular term position). This article discusses impact this quantificational paradigm shift on metaphysics, focussing theories properties, propositions, identity, as well metaphysics modality.