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Single Idea 14652
[filed under theme 10. Modality / A. Necessity / 4. De re / De dicto modality
]
Full Idea
The idea of modality 'de re' is no more (although no less) obscure that the idea of modality 'de dicto'; for I think we can see that any statement of the former type is logically equivalent to some statement of the latter.
Gist of Idea
'De re' modality is as clear as 'de dicto' modality, because they are logically equivalent
Source
Alvin Plantinga (World and Essence [1970], Intro)
Book Ref
Plantinga,Alvin: 'Essays in the Metaphysics of Modality' [OUP 2003], p.47
A Reaction
If two things are logically equivalent, that doesn't ensure that they are equally clear! Personally I am on the side of de re modality.
The
14 ideas
with the same theme
[modes of reality, or modes of statement about it]:
14641
|
A deduction is necessary if the major (but not the minor) premise is also necessary
[Aristotle]
|
8481
|
The de dicto-de re modality distinction dates back to Abelard
[Abelard, by Orenstein]
|
14645
|
To be necessarily greater than 7 is not a trait of 7, but depends on how 7 is referred to
[Quine]
|
14975
|
A de dicto necessity is true in all worlds, but not necessarily of the same thing in each world
[Cresswell]
|
14642
|
Expressing modality about a statement is 'de dicto'; expressing it of property-possession is 'de re'
[Plantinga]
|
14643
|
'De dicto' true and 'de re' false is possible, and so is 'de dicto' false and 'de re' true
[Plantinga]
|
14649
|
Can we find an appropriate 'de dicto' paraphrase for any 'de re' proposition?
[Plantinga]
|
14652
|
'De re' modality is as clear as 'de dicto' modality, because they are logically equivalent
[Plantinga]
|
16079
|
De re modal predicates are ambiguous
[Lewis, by Rudder Baker]
|
14223
|
De dicto necessity has linguistic entities as their source, so it is a type of de re necessity
[Shalkowski]
|
12003
|
De re modal formulae, unlike de dicto, are sensitive to transworld identities
[Forbes,G]
|
15420
|
De re modality seems to apply to objects a concept intended for sentences
[Burgess]
|
15175
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Evaluation of de dicto modalities does not depend on the identity of its objects
[Sidelle]
|
5732
|
'De re' modality is about things themselves, 'de dicto' modality is about propositions
[Melia]
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