This volume investigates the foundational status, methodology, and legitimacy of ontological inquiry within contemporary analytic philosophy. Edited by David Chalmers, David Manley, and Ryan Wasserman, the collection compiles essays from prominent philosophers to address whether metaphysical questions possess objective, determinate answers or if they are merely linguistic artifacts. The authors examine the tension between traditional realism and emerging schools of thought such as ontological deflationism and pluralism.

Experts identify this collection as a primary reference for understanding the shift toward metametaphysical inquiry in the early 21st century. Readers frequently note the high academic density of the prose, which assumes a significant background in formal logic and analytic philosophy.