Single Idea 9497

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 7. Fictionalism]

Full Idea

Armstrong has difficulty explaining how laws entail regularities. There is no real modality in the basic components of the world, but he wants to support counterfactuals. His official position is a kind of fictionalism.

Gist of Idea

Without modality, Armstrong falls back on fictionalism to support counterfactual laws

Source

comment on David M. Armstrong (A World of States of Affairs [1997], 49-51) by Alexander Bird - Nature's Metaphysics 4.4.4

Book Reference

Bird,Alexander: 'Nature's Metaphysics' [OUP 2007], p.96


A Reaction

Armstrong seems to be up against the basic problems that laws won't explain anything if they are merely regularities (assuming they are not decrees of a supernatural force).