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Single Idea 18383

[filed under theme 10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 1. Possible Worlds / d. Possible worlds actualism ]

Full Idea

Plantinga rejects other possible worlds, but adds to our world an uncountable multitude of sets of propositions, each set a way that the world might have been, but is in fact not. (Roughly, for each Lewis world, Plantinga has such a set).

Gist of Idea

Plantinga says there is just this world, with possibilities expressed in propositions

Source

report of Alvin Plantinga (The Nature of Necessity [1974]) by David M. Armstrong - Truth and Truthmakers 07.2

Book Ref

Armstrong,D.M.: 'Truth and Truthmakers' [CUP 2004], p.83


A Reaction

To me it seems as ontologically extravagant to postulate unexpressed propositions as to postulate concrete possible worlds. I think the best line is that there is just the actual world, with the possibilities implied in its dispositions.


The 13 ideas with the same theme [proposal that only our actual world exists]:

The possible can only be general, and the force of actuality is needed to produce a particular [Peirce]
The best version of reductionist actualism around is Armstrong's combinatorial account [Armstrong, by Read]
Plantinga's actualism is nominal, because he fills actuality with possibilia [Stalnaker on Plantinga]
Plantinga says there is just this world, with possibilities expressed in propositions [Plantinga, by Armstrong]
Given actualism, how can there be possible individuals, other than the actual ones? [Stalnaker]
Possible worlds rest on the objects about which we have suppositions [Wiggins]
The actual world is just the world you are in [Lewis, by Cappelen/Dever]
Lewis rejects actualism because he identifies properties with sets [Lewis, by Stalnaker]
Ersatzers say we have one world, and abstract representations of how it might have been [Lewis]
What are the ontological grounds for grouping possibilia into worlds? [Lycan on Lewis]
Lewis can't know possible worlds without first knowing what is possible or impossible [Lycan on Lewis]
Actualism is reductionist (to parts of actuality), or moderate realist (accepting real abstractions) [Read]
Serious Actualism says there are no facts at all about something which doesn't exist [Simchen]