Abstract Modal Realism

?
  • Created by: A. Person
  • Created on: 16-05-17 18:10
View mindmap
  • Abstract Modal Realism
    • Many abstract possible worlds
      • Only one is instantiated
        • Uninstantiated are just mistaken representations
      • Relative Actuality
        • Each world actual relative to itself.
    • Stalnaker
      • Labels AMR 'Actualists'
        • Nothing real but the actual.
          • Possible worlds merely properties of worlds/states of affairs/sets of sentences.
            • Non-actual possible world exists, but is not instantiated.
          • So actual world encompasses all that there is - the only thing that obtains.
    • Linguistic Abstractionism
      • Possible worlds constructed out of language
        • Sets of sentences which describe way world could have been.
          • 'World-Making Language'
            • Maximally consistent set.
      • Truth-At-World defined via set inclusion.
        • Sentence S true at W iff S a member of W.
      • Example: Harry Potter series... true according to fiction of HP that there's a school called Hogwarts.
      • Evaluation
        • PRO: Avoids 'Incredulous Stare'
          • Many philosophers already committed to existence of 'abstract objects'
        • Problem of names...
          • Everything must have a name, and cannot have two names.
            • Can use Lagadonian language (everything names itself)
              • But if an entity doesn't exist, it cannot have a Lagadonian name!
                • Response - qualitative descriptions of non-actual entities?
                  • Counter: 'Alien properties...'
                    • Suppose there's a simple world where only certain properties exist.
                      • Another world with property not instantiated in simple world
                        • Simple world labels it 'alien'...cannot be described using existing resources.
                          • World-making lang impoverished
                            • can individuate via genralisations?
                        • + a form of nonactualised abstracta! which dont want
                          • reply - not nonactual; just unactualised.
        • Maximal and consistent a modal notion.
          • i.e. what could be true together.
            • Can replace w/ syntactic stipulation -- i.e. consistent if no contradiction derived!
            • But what about non-logical contradictions (unmarried bachelors) - have to introduce in non-logical axioms...
              • i.e. necessary truth!!!!!!!!

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Philosophy resources:

See all Philosophy resources »See all AQWERTYUIO; resources »