Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Material Beings', 'Posterior Analytics' and 'De Mundo Praesenti'

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6 ideas

10. Modality / A. Necessity / 2. Nature of Necessity
12381 What is necessary cannot be otherwise [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: What is necessary cannot be otherwise.
     From: Aristotle (Posterior Analytics [c.327 BCE], 88b32)
     A reaction: If the next interesting question is the source of necessity, then the question seems to be 'what prevents it from being otherwise?'.
10. Modality / A. Necessity / 3. Types of Necessity
1690 A stone travels upwards by a forced necessity, and downwards by natural necessity [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: There are two types of necessity, one according to nature and impulse, the other by force and contrary to impulse. A stone travels upwards and downwards from different necessities.
     From: Aristotle (Posterior Analytics [c.327 BCE], 94b38)
10. Modality / C. Sources of Modality / 5. Modality from Actuality
17572 Actuality proves possibility, but that doesn't explain how it is possible [Inwagen]
     Full Idea: A proof of actuality is a proof of possibility, but that does not invariably explain the possibility whose existence it demonstrates, for we may know that a certain thing is actual (and hence possible) but have no explanation of how it could be possible.
     From: Peter van Inwagen (Material Beings [1990], 12)
     A reaction: I like this, because my project is to see all of philosophy in terms of explanation rather than of description.
10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 3. Transworld Objects / c. Counterparts
17579 Counterparts reduce counterfactual identity to problems about similarity relations [Inwagen]
     Full Idea: Counterpart Theory essentially reduces all problems about counterfactual identity to problems about choosing appropriate similarity relations. That is, Counterpart Theory essentially eliminates problems of counterfactual identity as such.
     From: Peter van Inwagen (Material Beings [1990], 14)
10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 3. Transworld Objects / e. Possible Objects
17590 A merely possible object clearly isn't there, so that is a defective notion [Inwagen]
     Full Idea: The notion of a merely possible object is an even more defective notion than the notion of a borderline object; after all, a merely possible object is an object that definitely isn't there.
     From: Peter van Inwagen (Material Beings [1990], 19)
17591 Merely possible objects must be consistent properties, or haecceities [Inwagen]
     Full Idea: Talk of merely possible objects may be redeemed in either maximally consistent sets of properties or in haecceities.
     From: Peter van Inwagen (Material Beings [1990], 19)