Single Idea 14223

[catalogued under 10. Modality / A. Necessity / 4. De re / De dicto modality]

Full Idea

De dicto necessity is a species of de re necessity. Anyone prone to countenance de dicto necessity must recognise mental and/or linguistic entities, thus counting each of them as a res to which necessity attaches.

Gist of Idea

De dicto necessity has linguistic entities as their source, so it is a type of de re necessity

Source

Scott Shalkowski (Essence and Being [2008], 'Essent')

Book Reference

'Being: Developments in Contemporary Metaphysics', ed/tr. Le Poidevin,R [CUP 2008], p.51


A Reaction

This seems to rest on the Kit Fine thought that analytic necessities seem to derive from the essences of words such as 'bachelor'. I like this idea: all necessity is de re, but some of the 'things' are words.