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Single Idea 5441

[from 'On the Plurality of Worlds' by David Lewis, in 10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 3. Transworld Objects / c. Counterparts ]

Full Idea

If I only have counterparts in possible worlds who are not identical to me, statements about what I could have done will seem irrelevant to me, because they will be about someone else.

Gist of Idea

Why should statements about what my 'counterpart' could have done interest me?

Source

comment on David Lewis (On the Plurality of Worlds [1986]) by Thomas Mautner - Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy p.115

Book Reference

Mautner,Thomas: 'Dictionary of Philosophy' [Penguin 1997], p.115


A Reaction

We might rephrase the statement as "I could have been the person who did x". Presumably my counterpart is not just any stranger, but someone I could have been. "I could have been a brick" - now that seems irrelevant to me!