more from Gideon Rosen

Single Idea 18850

[catalogued under 10. Modality / A. Necessity / 5. Metaphysical Necessity]

Full Idea

'Metaphysical' modality is the sort of modality relative to which it is an interesting question whether the laws of nature are necessary or contingent.

Gist of Idea

'Metaphysical' modality is the one that makes the necessity or contingency of laws of nature interesting

Source

Gideon Rosen (The Limits of Contingency [2006], 02)

Book Reference

'Identity and Modality', ed/tr. MacBride,Fraser [OUP 2006], p.16


A Reaction

Being an essentialist here, I take it that the stuff of the universe necessitates the so-called 'laws'. The metaphysically interesting question is whether the stuff might have been different. Search me! A nice test of metaphysical modality though.