Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Possibility', 'Making Things Happen' and 'Causation and Laws of Nature'

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2 ideas

10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 1. Possible Worlds / e. Against possible worlds
The love of possible worlds is part of the dream that technical logic solves philosophical problems [Jubien]
     Full Idea: I believe the contemporary infatuation with possible worlds in philosophy stems in part from a tendency to think that technical logic offers silver-bullet solutions to philosophical problems.
     From: Michael Jubien (Possibility [2009], 3.2)
     A reaction: I would say that the main reason for the infatuation is just novelty. As a technical device it was only invented in the 1960s, so we are in a honeymoon period, as we would be with any new gadget. I can't imagine possible worlds figuring much in 100 years.
Possible worlds don't explain necessity, because they are a bunch of parallel contingencies [Jubien]
     Full Idea: The fundamental problem is that in world theory, what passes for necessity is in effect just a bunch of parallel 'contingencies'.
     From: Michael Jubien (Possibility [2009], 3.2)
     A reaction: Jubien's general complaint is that there is no connection between the possible worlds and the actual world, so they are irrelevant, but this is a nicely different point - that lots of contingent worlds can't add up to necessity. Nice.