Elements and Patterns of Being Essays in Metaphysics

This timely collection, judiciously selected and expertly edited by A. R. J. Fisher, gives us Donald C. Williams at his very best. It makes available his enduringly important contributions to three key issues-the proper business of philosophy, the problem of universals, and the nature of time-which are (or should be) the subject matter of lively current debates. Showing all Williams's eloquence and flair, these essays make it a pleasure to be instructed. We especially gain from Fisher's rescue of unpublished material fit to stand alongside the classic pieces, and his provision of a most useful scene-setting Introduction. Keith Campbell, University of Sydney