Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Richard Polt, Christine M. Korsgaard and Karen Bennett

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2 ideas

10. Modality / A. Necessity / 6. Logical Necessity
The metaphysically and logically possible worlds are the same, so they are the same strength [Bennett,K]
     Full Idea: Metaphysical necessity is just as strong as logical necessity in that the space of metaphysical possibility is exactly the same as the space of logical possibility: the logically possible worlds = the metaphysically possible worlds.
     From: Karen Bennett (Supervenience [2011], §3.1)
     A reaction: I think this is wrong. To be the 'same strength' there would also have to be the same number of logical as metaphysical truths, and I presume that is not the case. There are far more logical than metaphysical possibilities.
10. Modality / B. Possibility / 1. Possibility
When we consider possibilities, there must be something we are considering [Polt]
     Full Idea: We would hardly want to say that a possibility is nothing, since surely we are considering something when we consider possibilities.
     From: Richard Polt (Heidegger: an introduction [1999], 1)
     A reaction: A nice contribution to the issue of whether modality is a feature of actuality. I would prefer to say that we can self-evidently utter truths and falsehoods about what is or is not possible, in nature, in logic, and maybe in metaphysics.