metaphysicalthat

Metaphysicalthat is a term used in some philosophical discussions to denote a stance on the metaphysical significance of declarative that-clauses. The expression is not standard in formal syntax or semantics, but it appears in thought experiments and analytic debates as a label for a view that connects the semantics of that-clauses with underlying ontological commitments. Proponents describe metaphysicalthat as the claim that the form and content of a that-clause carry ontological implications beyond descriptive linguistics, relating to how entities, properties, and their relations are grounded in reality.

Key tenets commonly associated with metaphysicalthat include: that that-clauses encode more than how the speaker is thinking or what is being asserted; that the truth conditions of that-statements reflect features of the world such as grounding relations, essences, or the existence of certain entities; and that linguistic structure can reveal or presuppose metaphysical structure. The approach often intersects with grounding theory, essentialism, and discussions of modality, suggesting that what a that-statement commits us to in the world depends on deeper metaphysical connections rather than solely on linguistic convention.

Critiques of metaphysicalthat focus on the difficulty of separating linguistic content from metaphysical commitments, the risk of overextending linguistic analysis into ontology, and challenges in empirical testing. Supporters argue the view can illuminate how language tracks world-building and ontological structure, while critics caution against conflating descriptive language use with claims about the universe’s makeup.

See also: metaphysics, philosophy of language, grounding, that-clauses, semantics.