@article{nolan2016method, title={Method in analytic metaphysics}, author={Nolan, Daniel}, journal={The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Methodology}, pages={159}, year={2016}, publisher={Oxford University Press} }
The first half of this chapter will discuss five important sources of constraints on metaphysical theorising: linguistic and conceptual analysis; consulting intuitions; employing the findings of science; respecting folk opinion; and applying theoretical virtues in metaphysical theory choice such as preferring simpler theories, or preferring more explanatory theories.
The second half of this chapter will discuss four other topics of particular methodological interest in metaphysics: the role of formal methods in metaphysics; the role of metaphysical communities, traditions, and the place of the history of metaphysics in contemporary work; the issue of whether metaphysics should be seen as an enterprise that will yield knowledge of metaphysical matters or whether it should have more modest epistemic goals; and the question of how much of metaphysics is a priori. p1
"Analytic philosophy, narrowly defined, saw the main task of philosophy as the analysis of language, and held that many traditional philosophical problems could be solved, or dissolved, by careful attention to the language in which they were framed." p1