Combining Philosophers

Ideas for H.Putnam/P.Oppenheim, Richard Wollheim and Brian Ellis

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2 ideas

10. Modality / A. Necessity / 3. Types of Necessity
Necessities are distinguished by their grounds, not their different modalities [Ellis]
     Full Idea: Strictly speaking, the distinction between two brands of necessity is one of grounds, rather than modality.
     From: Brian Ellis (Scientific Essentialism [2001], 1.06)
     A reaction: This idea I associate with Kit Fine. I like it, because it allows 'necessity' to be a univocal concept, which seems right to me. The types of necessity arise from types of things which already occur in our ontology.
10. Modality / A. Necessity / 5. Metaphysical Necessity
Metaphysical necessity holds between things in the world and things they make true [Ellis]
     Full Idea: Metaphysical necessitation is the relation that holds between things in the world and the things they make true.
     From: Brian Ellis (The Metaphysics of Scientific Realism [2009], 1)
     A reaction: Not sure about that. It implies that it is sentences that have necessity, and he confirms it by calling it 'a semantic relation'. So there are no necessities if there are no sentences? Not the Brian Ellis we know and love.