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8206 | Necessity could be just generalisation over classes, or (maybe) quantifying over possibilia [Quine] |
Full Idea: The need to add a note of necessity to 'all black crows are black' could be met by a generalisation over classes (what belongs to sets x and y belongs to y), or maybe be quantifying over possible particulars. | |
From: Willard Quine (On Multiplying Entities [1974], p.262) | |
A reaction: He dislikes the second strategy because 'unactualized particulars are an obscure and troublesome lot'. The second is the strategy of Lewis. I think necessity starts to creep back in as soon as you ask WHY a generalisation holds true. |