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Full Idea
The obvious minimal truthmaker for the truth that 'it is possible that a unicorn exists' is combinatorial. The elements of the combination are all that is needed.
Gist of Idea
The truthmakers for possible unicorns are the elements in their combination
Source
David M. Armstrong (Truth and Truthmakers [2004], 07.5)
Book Ref
Armstrong,D.M.: 'Truth and Truthmakers' [CUP 2004], p.91
A Reaction
This seems to imply that there are no possibilities which are not combinations of what currently exists.
Related Idea
Idea 18385 Logical atomism builds on the simple properties, but are they the only possible properties? [Armstrong]
| 18384 | One truthmaker will do for a contingent truth and for its contradictory [Armstrong] |
| 18386 | What is the truthmaker for 'it is possible that there could have been nothing'? [Armstrong] |
| 18387 | The truthmakers for possible unicorns are the elements in their combination [Armstrong] |
| 18394 | In mathematics, truthmakers are possible instantiations of structures [Armstrong] |
| 17283 | If the truth-making relation is modal, then modal truths will be grounded in anything [Fine,K] |
| 10749 | Necessary truths seem to all have the same truth-maker [Oliver] |
| 15140 | The converse Barcan formula will not allow contingent truths to have truthmakers [Williamson] |
| 15141 | Truthmaker is incompatible with modal semantics of varying domains [Williamson] |
| 18343 | Maybe a truth-maker also works for the entailments of the given truth [Rami] |
| 18826 | 'True at a possibility' means necessarily true if what is said had obtained [Rumfitt] |