Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Thinking About Mathematics', 'Universals' and 'Conceptual truth and metaphysical necessity'

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2 ideas

10. Modality / C. Sources of Modality / 4. Necessity from Concepts
The necessity of a proposition concerns reality, not our words or concepts [Stalnaker]
     Full Idea: The necessity or contingency of a proposition has nothing to do with our concepts or the meanings of our words. The possibilities would have been the same even if we had never conceived of them.
     From: Robert C. Stalnaker (Conceptual truth and metaphysical necessity [2003], 1)
     A reaction: This sounds in need of qualification, since some of the propositions will be explicitly about words and concepts. Still, I like this idea.
Conceptual possibilities are metaphysical possibilities we can conceive of [Stalnaker]
     Full Idea: Conceptual possibilities are just (metaphysical) possibilities that we can conceive of.
     From: Robert C. Stalnaker (Conceptual truth and metaphysical necessity [2003], 1)