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Single Idea 7688

[filed under theme 10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 2. Nature of Possible Worlds / a. Nature of possible worlds ]

Full Idea

The actual world can be defined as a maximally consistent combination of actual states of affairs, or maximally consistent states-of-affairs combination.

Gist of Idea

The actual world is a maximally consistent combination of actual states of affairs

Source

Dale Jacquette (Ontology [2002], Ch. 2)

Book Ref

Jacquette,Dale: 'Ontology' [Acumen 2002], p.65


A Reaction

A key part of Jacquette's program of deriving ontological results from the foundations of logic. Is the counterfactual situation of my pen being three centimetres to the left of its current position a "less consistent" situation than the actual one?


The 31 ideas from Dale Jacquette

Modal logic is multiple systems, shown in the variety of accessibility relations between worlds [Jacquette]
The two main views in philosophy of logic are extensionalism and intensionalism [Jacquette]
Intensionalists say meaning is determined by the possession of properties [Jacquette]
Extensionalists say that quantifiers presuppose the existence of their objects [Jacquette]
Extensionalist semantics forbids reference to nonexistent objects [Jacquette]
Extensionalist semantics is circular, as we must know the extension before assessing 'Fa' [Jacquette]
Classical logic is bivalent, has excluded middle, and only quantifies over existent objects [Jacquette]
Substitutional universal quantification retains truth for substitution of terms of the same type [Jacquette]
Nominalists like substitutional quantification to avoid the metaphysics of objects [Jacquette]
Ontology is the same as the conceptual foundations of logic [Jacquette]
Ontology must include the minimum requirements for our semantics [Jacquette]
Logic is based either on separate objects and properties, or objects as combinations of properties [Jacquette]
Reduce states-of-affairs to object-property combinations, and possible worlds to states-of-affairs [Jacquette]
Logic is not just about signs, because it relates to states of affairs, objects, properties and truth-values [Jacquette]
Logic describes inferences between sentences expressing possible properties of objects [Jacquette]
The modal logic of C.I.Lewis was only interpreted by Kripke and Hintikka in the 1960s [Jacquette]
Being is maximal consistency [Jacquette]
Existence is completeness and consistency [Jacquette]
An object is a predication subject, distinguished by a distinctive combination of properties [Jacquette]
The actual world is a consistent combination of states, made of consistent property combinations [Jacquette]
The actual world is a maximally consistent combination of actual states of affairs [Jacquette]
Do proposition-structures not associated with the actual world deserve to be called worlds? [Jacquette]
On Russell's analysis, the sentence "The winged horse has wings" comes out as false [Jacquette]
If classes can't be eliminated, and they are property combinations, then properties (universals) can't be either [Jacquette]
Can a Barber shave all and only those persons who do not shave themselves? [Jacquette]
We must experience the 'actual' world, which is defined by maximally consistent propositions [Jacquette]
Numbers, sets and propositions are abstract particulars; properties, qualities and relations are universals [Jacquette]
The extreme views on propositions are Frege's Platonism and Quine's extreme nominalism [Jacquette]
If qualia supervene on intentional states, then intentional states are explanatorily fundamental [Jacquette]
Reduction of intentionality involving nonexistent objects is impossible, as reduction must be to what is actual [Jacquette]
To grasp being, we must say why something exists, and why there is one world [Jacquette]