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Single Idea 15080

[filed under theme 10. Modality / A. Necessity / 3. Types of Necessity ]

Full Idea

Necessity is 'relative' if a claim of φ-necessary that p just claims that it is a logical consequence of some statements Φ that p. We have a 'strong' version if we add that the statements in Φ are all true, and a 'weak' version if not.

Gist of Idea

'Relative' necessity is just a logical consequence of some statements ('strong' if they are all true)

Source

Bob Hale (Absolute Necessities [1996], 1)

Book Ref

-: 'Philosophical Perspectives' [-], p.94


A Reaction

I'm not sure about 'logical' consequence here. It may be necessary that a thing be a certain way in order to qualify for some category (which would be 'relative'), but that seems like 'sortal' necessity rather than logical.


The 8 ideas from 'Absolute Necessities'

Maybe not-p is logically possible, but p is metaphysically necessary, so the latter is not absolute [Hale]
A strong necessity entails a weaker one, but not conversely; possibilities go the other way [Hale]
'Relative' necessity is just a logical consequence of some statements ('strong' if they are all true) [Hale]
Metaphysical necessity says there is no possibility of falsehood [Hale]
'Broadly' logical necessities are derived (in a structure) entirely from the concepts [Hale]
Absolute necessity might be achievable either logically or metaphysically [Hale]
Logical necessities are true in virtue of the nature of all logical concepts [Hale]
Conceptual necessities are made true by all concepts [Hale]