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Single Idea 16425

[from 'The Conscious Mind' by David J.Chalmers, in 10. Modality / A. Necessity / 5. Metaphysical Necessity ]

Full Idea

Strong metaphysical necessities will put constraints on the space of possible worlds that are brute and inexplicable. That's fine for our world, but bizarre for possible worlds. The realm of the possible has no room for such arbitrary constraint.

Gist of Idea

Metaphysical necessity is a bizarre, brute and inexplicable constraint on possibilities

Source

David J.Chalmers (The Conscious Mind [1996], 2.4.2)

Book Reference

Chalmers,David J.: 'The Conscious Mind' [OUP 1997], p.137


A Reaction

He would say this, given that he wants zombies to be possible, just because he thinks he can conceive of them. Presumably he thinks a raging bonfire with no flames is also possible. His objection here is weak.

Related Idea

Idea 16426 How can we know the metaphysical impossibilities; the a posteriori only concerns this world [Chalmers]