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Single Idea 15167

[from 'Necessity, Essence and Individuation' by Alan Sidelle, in 10. Modality / D. Knowledge of Modality / 4. Conceivable as Possible / a. Conceivable as possible ]

Full Idea

In the traditional empiricist picture, we go about modal enquiry by trying to see whether we can imagine a situation in which it would be correct to assert the negation of a proposed necessary truth. Thus we can find out the limits of our concepts.

Gist of Idea

Empiricism explores necessities and concept-limits by imagining negations of truths

Source

Alan Sidelle (Necessity, Essence and Individuation [1989], Ch.1)

Book Reference

Sidelle,Alan: 'Necessity, Essence and Individuation' [Cornell 1989], p.12