Single Idea 9432

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 5. Laws from Universals]

Full Idea

The core of the Dretske-Tooley-Armstrong view of the late 70s is that we have a law of nature when we have a relation of natural necessitation between universals. ..The innovation was that laws are about properties, and only indirectly about particulars.

Gist of Idea

Laws of nature are necessary relations between universal properties, rather than about particulars

Source

Stephen Mumford (Laws in Nature [2004], 06.2)

Book Reference

Mumford,Stephen: 'Laws in Nature' [Routledge 2006], p.85


A Reaction

It sounds as if we should then be able to know the laws of nature a priori, since that was Russell's 1912 definition of a priori knowledge.