Single Idea 16277

[catalogued under 10. Modality / A. Necessity / 5. Metaphysical Necessity]

Full Idea

While logical impossibility is a species of metaphysical impossibility, logical possibility is not a species of metaphysical possibility. The logically impeccable description 'Cicero was not Tully' describes a metaphysically impossible situation.

Gist of Idea

Logically impossible is metaphysically impossible, but logically possible is not metaphysically possible

Source

Tim Maudlin (The Metaphysics within Physics [2007], 7 Epilogue)

Book Reference

Maudlin,Tim: 'The Metaphysics within Physics' [OUP 2007], p.189


A Reaction

The context of this is Maudlin attack on daft notions of metaphysical possibility that are at variance with the limits set by science, but he is still conceding that there are types of metaphysical modality.