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Single Idea 11113

[filed under theme 10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 1. Possible Worlds / e. Against possible worlds ]

Full Idea

The suspicion is that the necessity doesn't arise from how worlds are, but rather that the worlds are taken to be as they are in order to capture the intuitive necessity.

Gist of Idea

Worlds don't explain necessity; we use necessity to decide on possible worlds

Source

Michael Jubien (Analyzing Modality [2007], 1)

Book Ref

'Oxford Studies in Metaphysics vol.3', ed/tr. Zimmerman,Dean W. [OUP 2007], p.105

A Reaction

It has always seemed to me rather glaring that you need a prior notion of 'possible' before you can start to talk about 'possible worlds', but I have always been too timid to disagree with the combination of Saul Kripke and David Lewis. Thank you, Jubien!

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]