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Single Idea 11108

[filed under theme 10. Modality / C. Sources of Modality / 5. Modality from Actuality ]

Full Idea

The possibility of your having been a playwright has nothing to do with how people are on other planets, whether in our own or in some other realm. It is only to do with you and the relevant property.

Gist of Idea

Your properties, not some other world, decide your possibilities

Source

Michael Jubien (Analyzing Modality [2007], 1)

Book Ref

'Oxford Studies in Metaphysics vol.3', ed/tr. Zimmerman,Dean W. [OUP 2007], p.100

A Reaction

I'm inclined to think that this simple point is conclusive disproof of possible worlds as an explanation of modality (apart from Jubien's other nice points). What we need to understand are modal properties, not other worlds.

The 14 ideas from 'Analyzing Modality'

11108 Your properties, not some other world, decide your possibilities [Jubien]
11111 Modal truths are facts about parts of this world, not about remote maximal entities [Jubien]
11105 We have no idea how many 'possible worlds' there might be [Jubien]
11107 If there are no other possible worlds, do we then exist necessarily? [Jubien]
11106 If all possible worlds just happened to include stars, their existence would be necessary [Jubien]
11112 Possible worlds just give parallel contingencies, with no explanation at all of necessity [Jubien]
11109 If other worlds exist, then they are scattered parts of the actual world [Jubien]
11113 Worlds don't explain necessity; we use necessity to decide on possible worlds [Jubien]
11110 We mustn't confuse a similar person with the same person [Jubien]
11116 Being a physical object is our most fundamental category [Jubien]
11117 Haecceities implausibly have no qualities [Jubien]
11115 'All horses' either picks out the horses, or the things which are horses [Jubien]
11118 Modal propositions transcend the concrete, but not the actual [Jubien]
11119 De re necessity is just de dicto necessity about object-essences [Jubien]