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A Chance for Possibility : An Investigation into the Grounds of Modality / Alexander Steinberg.

By: Material type: TextTextSeries: Philosophische Analyse / Philosophical Analysis ; 51Publisher: Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter, [2013]Copyright date: ©2013Description: 1 online resource (272 p.)Content type:
Media type:
Carrier type:
ISBN:
  • 9783110334890
  • 9783110338232
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 160 23
LOC classification:
  • BC199.M6
Other classification:
  • online - DeGruyter
Online resources: Available additional physical forms:
  • Issued also in print.
Contents:
Frontmatter -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Supervenience -- Chapter 3. Concrete Possible Worlds -- Chapter 4. Abstract Possible Worlds -- Chapter 5. Possibility and Probability -- Chapter 6. Conclusion -- Appendix A. Non-Nominal Quantification -- Name Index -- Bibliography
Summary: A Chance for Possibility defends the view that the objective modal realm is tripartite: truths about possible worlds supervene on modal truths, which in turn supervene on truths about objective chances.An understanding of supervenience in terms of grounding is developed which - unlike the standard modal characterization - allows the question of what modal truths supervene on to have a non-trivial answer. Relying on this understanding, a negative result is established: modal truths do not supervene on truths about possible worlds, whether possible worlds are conceived of as Lewisian concreta or as abstract objects of some kind. Instead, a conception of pleonastic possible worlds is developed that reverses the direction of supervenience. On the basis of linguistic considerations concerning our use of natural language ‘might’ and ‘might have’ sentences, Steinberg finally argues that truths about objective chances are able to provide a supervenience base for modal truths.A Chance for Possibility is an investigation in analytic metaphysics, drawing on related work in the philosophy of logic and language as well as linguistics. It provides a detailed case study for the fruitful use of a notion of grounding in the clarification and evaluation of longstanding philosophical issues.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number URL Status Notes Barcode
eBook eBook Biblioteca "Angelicum" Pont. Univ. S.Tommaso d'Aquino Nuvola online online - DeGruyter (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Online access Not for loan (Accesso limitato) Accesso per gli utenti autorizzati / Access for authorized users (dgr)9783110338232

Frontmatter -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Supervenience -- Chapter 3. Concrete Possible Worlds -- Chapter 4. Abstract Possible Worlds -- Chapter 5. Possibility and Probability -- Chapter 6. Conclusion -- Appendix A. Non-Nominal Quantification -- Name Index -- Bibliography

restricted access online access with authorization star

http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec

A Chance for Possibility defends the view that the objective modal realm is tripartite: truths about possible worlds supervene on modal truths, which in turn supervene on truths about objective chances.An understanding of supervenience in terms of grounding is developed which - unlike the standard modal characterization - allows the question of what modal truths supervene on to have a non-trivial answer. Relying on this understanding, a negative result is established: modal truths do not supervene on truths about possible worlds, whether possible worlds are conceived of as Lewisian concreta or as abstract objects of some kind. Instead, a conception of pleonastic possible worlds is developed that reverses the direction of supervenience. On the basis of linguistic considerations concerning our use of natural language ‘might’ and ‘might have’ sentences, Steinberg finally argues that truths about objective chances are able to provide a supervenience base for modal truths.A Chance for Possibility is an investigation in analytic metaphysics, drawing on related work in the philosophy of logic and language as well as linguistics. It provides a detailed case study for the fruitful use of a notion of grounding in the clarification and evaluation of longstanding philosophical issues.

Issued also in print.

Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.

In English.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 28. Feb 2023)