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Full Idea
This book is a plea for recognising potentiality as an explanans in the metaphysics of modality, rather than as something in need of explanation or reduction.
Clarification
An 'explanans' is what does the explaining
Gist of Idea
Potentiality does the explaining in metaphysics; we don't explain it away or reduce it
Source
Barbara Vetter (Potentiality [2015], 1.1)
Book Ref
Vetter,Barbara: 'Potentiality: from Dispositions to Modality' [OUP 2015], p.2
A Reaction
Something has to do the explaining, and it is obviously much better to have some aspect of the real world do the job, rather than remote abstractions such as laws, possible worlds or Forms. Personally I like the potentiality of 'powers'.
15777 | A 'potentiality' is a principle of change or process in a thing [Aristotle] |
15778 | Things are destroyed not by their powers, but by their lack of them [Aristotle] |
14544 | Potentialities are always for action, but are conditional on circumstances [Aristotle] |
15774 | We recognise potentiality from actuality [Aristotle] |
11254 | Matter is potentiality [Aristotle, by Politis] |
12250 | Bodies have act and potency, the latter explaining new kinds of existence [Oderberg] |
23705 | A potentiality may not be a disposition, but dispositions are strong potentialities [Vetter, by Friend/Kimpton-Nye] |
19009 | Potentiality does the explaining in metaphysics; we don't explain it away or reduce it [Vetter] |
19019 | Potentiality is the common genus of dispositions, abilities, and similar properties [Vetter] |
19022 | Water has a potentiality to acquire a potentiality to break (by freezing) [Vetter] |
19025 | Potentialities may be too weak to count as 'dispositions' [Vetter] |
19027 | Potentiality logic is modal system T. Stronger systems collapse iterations, and necessitate potentials [Vetter] |
19031 | There are potentialities 'to ...', but possibilities are 'that ....'. [Vetter] |